Chapter 661: Fully Prepared
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did not lack 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 accept it.
"The officer made the decision, so that is what you deserve. If you don't accept it, that would be disrespectful to the officer!"
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan expressed their gratitude and accepted 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 Madame company 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 available 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 plate 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 Madame company 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 succeed!"
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 to come 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..
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 Village 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 accosted by the crowd.
If an accident happened, it would be really bad.
Shao Yunduan had been training physically and he often did some farming at home, so he was relatively 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 collapsed 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!"
Qiao Xuan was startled. She was blushing but Shao Yunduan remained calm. He responded in composure. "Thank you for today, Brother Yuezheng, would you like to come 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 explaining anything, he nodded and said, "Okay, we will be waiting for you to come tomorrow! "
"Okay, okay!'
Seeing Shao Yunduan getting onto the wagon with Qiao Xuan, Yuezheng Xiao smiled and went back to his mother.
Shao Yunduan nodded and showed an excited look. "We will pass on the news to Officer Qiao as well. He will be glad 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 black-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!"
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 was complete again.
She did not try to purposefully feel sp. She just had a slight sense of easiness, relaxation 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 relax and rest. After finishing the soup, he went back to the room and slept.
Lixia and Liqiu were glad and exchanged a few happy words with Qiao Xuan, congratulating her.
"Do remember to keep your mouth sealed!"
For dinner, Qiao Xuan made gastrodia elata 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 glad to see a table full of dishes.
He was greedy to have them all.
Qiao Xuan noticed the way he reacted. Feeling satisfied and glad, 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!"
Qiao Xuan was flattered. "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 Yunduan laughed. "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 Xuan company 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 access 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 popular 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 place her bet on any of the candidates. Instead, she put forward the name of Shao Yunduan.
She bet that Shao Yunduan would become the Provincial Champion!
Qiao Xuan knew enough about the imperial examination. A Cultivated Talent was a very difficult level to achieve and the Recommended Man level would be even harder to reach.
The Advanced Scholar level was the most difficult, since the examination only took place once every third year. In the whole country, only 300 people were accepted. Just the name sounded so difficult!
Actually, she wasn't sure if Shao Yunduan could become the Provincial Champion. If Shao Yunduan could achieve the title of the Recommended 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. He laughed.
The others laughed 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 become 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!"
"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 the compensation rate?"
Was she really going to make the bet? The owner was motivated and answered enthusiastically. "Five times!"
Honestly, the most popular candidates would have the return of three times, and the two most popular 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 placed them on the table.
Everyone gasped. Then, someone clapped 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!"
Everyone laughed, 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 owner laughed confidently in return.
"Don't worry, we never cheat!"
Qiao Xuan snorted. "Good!"
She believed that the casino would be able to afford the compensation, 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 the compensation 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 popular.
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 Yunduan laughed.
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 Yunduan laughed 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 blame me for splurging, will you?"
"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 accept 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 Junior laughed, and then sneered. She even went to talk about this to First Madame.
She claimed that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did it on purpose just to make Shao Yunduan famous, and even coaxed Yuezheng Xiao to splurge.
She was being slapped 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-in-law, 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 place 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-in-law, 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-in-law." 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?"
"Second Sister-in-law, 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 place 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.
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 congratulations. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief.
She went up and saw Shao Yunduan and Yuezheng Xiao coming out of the wagon.
"You made it to the next level? Congratulations!"
Shao Yunduan took hold of her hands with a smile. "Darling, congratulations 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 become the Provincial Champion. She made the bet because she wanted Shao Yunduan to have what other candidates had..
She did not lack money. She could always earn it back. She was just being generous while placing that bet.
Seeing Qiao Xuan's bright smile, Shao Yunduan also felt really pleased. He felt
happier now compared 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 glanced at the couple and touched his forehead. He was the third wheel again, wasn't he? How embarrassing!
"Well, Brother Shao and Sister-in-law, you better get ready for the official messenger. I am afraid that there will be many people coming to congratulate you later 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 would come to pass on the news and offer some bonus. The participants and the neighbors would also walk in to congratulate 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 hour later, 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 congratulations.
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 the last, and Lu Min placed somewhere in the middle. But they were already very satisfied by the result, and gave the most sincere congratulations 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 plainly dressed.
But ordinary people could not afford a house like this in the province or have a good relationship 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 become so wealthy?
But then, Shao Yunduan was County Magistrate's son-in-law, so it seemed reasonable that he had money.
Did it mean… Shao Yunduan and Officer Qiao did not have a bad relationship as per the rumor.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan did not like what they heard..
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-in-law.
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 Xiao laughed. "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 relationship 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-in-law, 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 success 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 according 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!
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…"
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 Sanlang 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 Sanlang 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 a lazy 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..
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 visit fr𝐞𝐞w𝒏.𝒸𝑜𝔪 website to read fastest update
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 flatter their young master.
So, the two servants came up with the idea of hiring a few hooligans and tried to rob Shao Sanlang 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 Sanlang 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 Sanlang did not get to do anything at all.
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 Recommended man…
They would never be bold enough to offend people from a Recommended 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..
At this time, Shao Sanlang 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 Sanlang. 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 glared 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 girl come with us. When our Young Master is pleased, he will forgive you!'
Shao Sanlang 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 Sanlang and Shao Xiaoqi left with Yang Xiaoni and Taotao.
She and Dou did not get rid of the ropes until a long while later. 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 claimed 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 Village with a few followers.
But the Shao Family were in charge of the village and the Land Officer had a good relationship 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 villagers. 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 village.
No one from the village 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 become so easy to be bullied? Officer Qiao forced them to donate money and his cheap son-in-law ordered people to punch their servants?
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 village. 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 become very different!
Qiao Wei's face changed completely.
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 glazed 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 becomes promising, do you think that he will help you, and not set you up instead?"
Officer Qiao was startled. He lashed out. "He would not dare! I am his father-in-law! 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 mattered compared 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-in-law!"
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 result comes out…"
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 become an officer's wife, never!"
Madame Qiao's face sank. She did not want this to happen more than Qiao Wei did.
Her original plan 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 succeed?"
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 village and take a look at the Shao Family. Zhao Ming said that Qiao Xuan has collected a lot of money and they even have glazed windows and a big house. They have bought a lot of land. Where did she get the money from? Even if Shao Yunduan claimed 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..
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 glazed 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 relationship with Young Master Yuezheng was not the same as they had claimed…
But what could it be?
Madame Qiao was feeling really uncomfortable at this moment.
She turned to Auntie Ling. "Take two people to the Shao Family in the village 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 village personally.
That place was too low-class for them to set foot in.
Before Auntie Ling left the following day, Madame Qiao got Concubine Du and Qiao Kou to keep her company.
When Concubine Du and Qiao Kou's properties were taken away, they did not seem to have a broken relationship 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 village, 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 Sanlang opened the door and looked alarmed, 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 in-laws home?"
Fifth Sister-in-law's family?
That could not be good..
Shao Sanlang chuckled. "My parents are both at home. If you are from Officer Qiao's mansion, please come in!"
Shao Sanlang 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 Sanlang 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 flat 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 planted, 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 glazed windows, with a lot of light shining through. It must be so good to live in such a place.
Concubine Du and her daughter exchanged a look, and both felt really jealous.
Even their room was not installed with glazed windows…
"Ah… you are from the Qiao Family? What are your names?"
Ms. Fang smiled brightly.
Yang San frowned. "You are the in-law 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 Sanlang, Shao Dalang 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 Sanlang went to the flower field to get Yang Xiaoni and the other girls to come 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-in-law's sister.
So, if she was her daughter-in-law'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 her common 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..
"Ms. Xu, you are pregnant, you can go back to your room to rest."
Concubine Du still glanced 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 in-laws of the family and her mother-in-law should be able to handle it.
She was going to be in labor soon and she really could not help her being here. What if some accident 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 glanced at her. "What do you know, little girl? Don't go around spreading rumors. Ms. Qiao's dowry is her own property. No in-laws would use daughter-in-laws' 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 of coming 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 places tended to breed poor people.
"In-law, 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-in-law'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 glared 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…"
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 glazed 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 glazed window cost 30 to 40 liang? How could that glass 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 glazed windows, if she had known how expensive they were. The couple told her nothing.
The room was very bright because of these, and the glazed windows were so beautiful. Everyone liked them but it was so costly!
Ms. Fang could help but shiver. She was throwing scared glances at the windows.
That was money! She needed to be very careful about the glasses. They were all money!
"Madame Qiao even said that if the Second Miss' husband clears the examination, are the fees for the next examination available? 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 glazed 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 Sanlang 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..
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-in-law'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 them company 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 guests company and I will be back soon. Concubine Du, come 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-in-law is my brother!"
Qiao Kou frowned and showed a disdainful look, snapping inwardly.
'Brother-in-law… 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 glared at Qiao Kou who was about to counter. But it seemed that there was no way that they could realize the plan of walking around in the house without the Shao Family being involved..