Chapter 701: No Promise
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"Anything related to governmental office would be complicated. We can't afford to offend them. Let's just look more carefully. We can find Xianwen, definitely…"
"What is the point of reporting to the governmental office?"
She was right. Commoners wanted to live a peaceful life, and they would not want to get involved with governmental office unless it was absolutely necessary.
It was always easy to report to the governmental office, but no one knew what requirements they would raise in return. Things might get very complicated.
Qiao Xuan said, "Second Sister-in-law, don't worry. My husband and I will deal with it. We will be fine!"
The others nodded and showed a look of jealousy.
Qiao Xuan was County Magistrate's daughter and when she made this promise, there should not be any complications.
But Ms. Zhang still did not accept that. She sneered at Qiao Xuan. "Stop pretending to be kind. Who knows what you are thinking inwardly? You never treat us well. I don't believe you. You better stay out of this!"
Ms. Fang shouted angrily. "Ms. Zhang, listen to what you are saying?"
Even Second Uncle could not stand what Ms. Zhang said. He told Ms. Zhang to shut her mouth.
Ms. Zhang kept saying that they should not report to the governmental office.
She did not trust the governmental office. Nor did she trust Qiao Xuan unless Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan swore that they could get her son back. Otherwise, they were not allowed to report the case to any office!
Anyone who reported the case behind her back would be her enemy, especially if her son was affected because of that.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were not very happy about this.
Ms. Fang sneered. "They don't want to accept your help, Duan and Ms. Qiao. Don't bother anymore. She is the mother, she has the final say!'
Swear? Who would dare swear on this?
They all exchanged a blank look between themselves.
This idea was canceled.
Those who had gone searching for the boy went home to sleep. Another batch of people started to go and look for him. The Shao Family was very anxious.
But by lunchtime, someone delivered a blackmailing letter.
It was discovered at the gate of the yard of the second section of the family. But no one noticed how the letter reached the second section of the family.
Ms. Zhang gave the letter to Ms. Niu and Ms. Yan, who could not read. So, they gave it to the first section of the family and asked Shao Yunduan to read what it said.
Shao Yunduan was asleep. Qiao Xuan did not wake him up but opened it herself.
She was County Magistrate's daughter, and she should be able to read.
She opened the letter and was shocked.
It was a blackmailing letter.
The letter asked the second section of the family to deliver 100 liang to some place to ensure that Shao Xianwen would be safe and sound. Otherwise, Shao Xianwen would be lost forever.
Ms. Niu almost passed out, crying out loudly. "Which monster did this? That is my grandson! We are not rich people, how can they come to us for this?"
Ms. Zhang also put on a crying look. "100 liang… where can we get 100 liang?
Mom, please, save Xianwen first…"
Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang were both shocked.
Ms. Fang was very intimidating, but Shao Xianwen was her grandnephew, so her heart softened.. She was about to say something, when Qiao Xuan gave her a wink, which made her hold back.
Qiao Xuan said, "Second Aunt-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, just get Second
Uncle and everyone to return. We have found a clue, and we don't need to look in the mountains any more. We should try to talk about how to save the child."
Ms. Niu had been so anxious that she was distracted. She told Ms. Yan to get everyone back home, especially Second Uncle and Shao Erlang.
Nis. Zhang sneered and said to Qiao Xuan, "What is the point of talking about anything? We need money. We don't have 100 liang, so you should help us with it!"
Ms. Niu understood what was going on as well. She said to Ms. Fang, "Eldest
Sister-in-law, please help us this time, 1 can't let my grandchild get killed!"
Ms. Fang felt so disgusted. She was about to offer the money but they beat her to it and were planning to let her pay the bill.
They would always think about turning to her for help.
"What do you mean, Second sister-in-law? If I don't offer 100 liang, would it be me who gets Xianwen killed? You don't have 100 liang, but can't you offer even one liang?"
Nis. Niu was about to argue back when Qiao Xuan said, "Second Aunt-in-law, let's wait until Second Uncle is back. Second Aunt-in-law, you can go home and wait. We will be there soon.'
Ms. Zhang sneered at Qiao Xuan, looking really annoyed. She left with Ms. Niu without saying anything.
Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows. She had a feeling that Ms. Zhang did not seem to care about her missing child.
Instead, she had time to hate her at this point…
Ms. Fang patted her chest. "Damn, how can they say such horrible words to
LIS! r,
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Mom, just ignore them. We already know what they are like, right?"
Nis. Fang sighed and lost some anger.
"No." She revived herself. "l will go and speak with my husband in case he really agrees to offer 100 liang!'
Then, she left for his room.
Eldest Uncle had been up for one whole night. He was asleep at the moment.
Qiao Xuan smiled. She was just about to ask her mother-in-law to remind her father-in-law, but her mother-in-law already had the idea…
They could offer the money, but not the entire money. This needed to be handled carefully in case they did not thank them but blamed them for not being sincere.
Nis. Yan had said that two quarters before the letter arrived, she was sweeping the floor in the yard. Therefore, the letter had just been put down.
That meant that the delivery man was not yet far away.
Qiao Xuan used her superpower to look around…
She maximized her superpower and managed to cover almost 15 miles.
She was confused again.
She did not see any strange man on the path, trees or valleys.
Could that person have come in a wagon? That would have drawn a lot of attention.
Suddenly, she realized something. Could the delivery man be from the same village?
Only that would make sense. The person dropped the letter and sneaked home. So, she could not find that person at this moment..
She could not replay the past with her superpower. She could only try to catch the suspect red-handed.
Qiao Xuan suddenly had an idea flashing across her mind. Did Ms. Zhang arrange everything herself?
She was totally startled.
That could not be possible. It would not be the case, right?
But when this notion hit her mind, Qiao Xuan started to get skeptical.
Ms. Zhang could take Shao Xianwen away without letting anyone notice that.
She also seemed to have such a good sleep the night before…
She even insisted that the first section of the family should never report the case to the governmental office.
Most importantly, she was the one who found the letter, whilst no one had any idea how the letter arrived at the door.
Ms. Zhang could just bring out the letter herself, secretly!
She had been crying loudly, but she did not seem to be very worried about her son. On the other hand, Second Uncle and Shao Erlang were very anxious and looked heavily-struck. It was the same for Ms. Niu.
Ms. Zhang even had the time to blame her and kept stressing about the 100 liang…
In modern society, science and technology were vastly developed, and there were many strange cases and hot topics going on in the society. In many cases, results turned out to be really startling.
There were enough parents who harmed their children.
With those as the base, Qiao Xuan subconsciously became skeptical towards Ms. Zhang. Maybe other people would not think like this. But Qiao Xuan had witnessed such cases. So, she suddenly found that it was very likely, after all.
But this was just her suspicion. There was no evidence for that.
So, she was not going to say it out loud.
Soon, Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle came out in the hall. They were wearing bad looks on their faces. Qiao Xuan went up and greeted them, suggesting that she would follow them to the second section of the family. She was going to go with the flow to look for some anomalies.
It seemed that her father-in-law suggested offering 100 liang to get back Shao Xianwen, whilst her mother-in-law must have argued with him over that.
When they reached the second section of the family, Second Uncle and Shao Erlang were back. Some villagers were at their place too. They kept raising some ideas. Ms. Niu was crying about losing the grandchild and not being able to offer so much money.
Qiao Xuan knew clearly that they definitely could not gather 100 liang, unless Ms. Yan offered her private savings.
The Yan Family's business was going upwards. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan got 80 liang when they only had 20% of the profits. In this case, Ms. Yan must have got 40 liang for her portion. Her dowry as well as Ms. Niu's savings would add up to 100 liang.
Seeing Eldest Uncle and Ms. Fang, Second Uncle's face brightened. "Eldest Brother…
"Second Brother, you can gather some money and we can loan you a dozen liang. But you have to tell us how you will pay it back." Before Eldest Uncle finished his words, Ms. Fang cut in.
Second Uncle got very furious. "Eldest Sister-in-law, are you crazy? How can you say such words right now?"
Ms. Fang sneered. "Why not? You can't be thinking about getting money from us for free, or are you? That is not good, right?"
Qiao Xuan smiled.. "Mom is absolutely right! If someone hides the child and pretends to put on a kidnapping show to blackmail us, that would make them rich conveniently, right?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Ms. Qiao, shut up now!"
Second Uncle and Eldest Uncle shouted at Qiao Xuan at the same time.
Qiao Xuan was simply adding fuel to the fire at this time. Second Uncle was furious. "Ms. Qiao, what do you mean? How can you say things like that? Can anyone do anything like this? That is totally unhuman."
Qiao Xuan sneaked a look at Ms. Zhangs face when she said those words. Ms. Zhang was startled by these words and her face turned red. She was panicking.
Soon, she tried to calm down, but Qiao Xuan was more or less sure that Ms. Zhang had caused all of this herself.
What a mother!
But she was just a rural woman and she might have done this for the first time. So, she was not very good at putting on a calm face, thus exposing herself when asked by Qiao Xuan.
"Second Uncle, don't be mad. I should not have said those words." Qiao Xuan replied calmly. "But I was with my father and saw such cases in other counties, thus mentioning this out loud. A grandma hid the grandson and pretended that he was kidnapped. She forced her son and daughter-in-law to pay her so that she could use the money to help the useless younger son… Sorry, Second Uncle…"
Second Uncle sneered. He was very angry but he said nothing more. Qiao Xuan was County Magistrate's daughter and she could not be lying when she said that there were cases like these. No one would be able to prove otherwise.
She might be a little over the top saying it, but that was reasonable as well.
Most importantly, the second section of the family did not have 100 liang, and they needed to get the money from the first section of the family.
Second Uncle did not care if he was getting the money as a loan. He barely had the energy to think about when or how to return the money.
If he offended Qiao Xuan, maybe they would not be able to get anything from them.
Qiao Xuan said sincerely, "I think so too. Only ruthless and heartless people would use this method to get money. Such people would always get retribution, and end up badly. Isn't that right, Second Sister-in-law?"
Nis. Zhang was shocked. Her eyes became erratic. She got furious and embarrassed, as she screamed. "Why did you ask me this? How would I know about it?"
Qiao Xuan stared at her. "Don't you think such people should be punished?"
Ms. Zhang turned pale. Her lips were trembling. She dodged Qiao Xuan's question and cried painfully. "Parents, please, raise some money to save Xianwen first. Where is he now? He is so young and he may be suffering badly!'
Ms. Zhang covered her face and burst into tears.
Qiao Xuan could tell that she was panicking already.
Qiao Xuan left the money discussion to Ms. Fang, who would never let the second section of the family take advantage of them. Also, if Ms. Zhang had planned this, Shao Xianwen should be safe.
Ms. Zhang just needed money. She would not kill her son.
Qiao Xuan gave Ms. Yan a look, and two of them left the room.
In a quiet corner, Qiao Xuan asked. "Fourth Cousin-in-law, did Second Cousin-in-law ask Second Aunt-in-law for money these days?"
Ms. Yan was startled.
She wondered why Qiao Xuan would say so. But Nis. Yan replied clearly. "She did ask a few days ago. Second Sister-in-law asked her for 10 liang, saying that her mother's family needed it desperately. She claimed that it was a loan and Second Brother's salary would cover the payback.."
Ms. Yan sounded sarcastic.
Her family's business was doing well, and they had expanded the scope. They were very busy these days, and the profits were plentiful. The whole family was very motivated.
Therefore, Shao Erlang was hired to work there as well.
Shao Silang had been promoted to become a manager.
Shao Silang was paid 3 liang a month, and he only gave 2 out of those towards the shared savings, and kept one for their own use.
Shao Erlang was not as well-treated as the son-in-law of the Yan Family, and was working as a minor employee. He was paid according to how much he worked. His salary was no more than 2-3 qian a month.
Ms. Zhang had only paid half a month's shared savings and was already asking her mother-in-law for 10 liang for her mother's family. She even said that Shao Erlang could pay that back with his salary as if his salary was huge.
More importantly, Ms. Zhang came to her twice and asked her to tell her mother's family to promote Shao Erlang as a manager. In this way, he could be paid more and work less. She turned her down and Ms. Zhang was very irritated by her.
Qiao Xuan asked again. "Did the Second Aunt-in-law give the money to her?"
Ms. Yan looked amused. "Of course not. I even heard the Second Sister-in-law blaming the Second Brother in secret."
Qiao Xuan sneered. "Good. Her mother's family needs money and her mother-in-law refuses to help. She must be feeling really annoyed…"
When she had the grudge and needed money, it would not be strange if she had some weird ideas in her head.
.
That was true. But she felt that her Fifth Sister-in-law was implying something else.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Fourth Cousin-in-law, I have some guesses, but I can't say those out now, because 1 am not sure if I am right. Fourth Cousin-in-law, please don't share my words with anyone else."
Ms. Yan felt relieved. She nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, Fifth
Sister-in-law, I will keep my mouth tightly sealed."
Qiao Xuan could not tell Ms. Fang about this and instead, mentioned her guess to Shao Yunduan.
Shao Yunduan seemed really calm hearing her words. He believed her instantly.
Qiao Xuan was surprised. She smiled. "Darling, you believe me?"
Shao Yunduan smiled. "Your words have a ground, and I think that your guess is quite possible. You aren't the kind of person who spreads rumors."
Qiao Xuan felt sweetness in her heart. "Good. 1 don't need to explain a thing. Darling, what do you think we should do about it?"
Shao Yunduan said, "l will get Second Cousin and Shao Xiaoqi to keep an eye out on Ms. Zhangs family. Ms. Zhang can't be the only one planning this."
Ms. Zhang would not be able to carry it out alone. Moreover, she would not combine forces with someone outside the family. She needed to keep her reputation. If someone outside the family knew about her plan, she would have no way to keep her head up in her life, ever again.
So, she had most probably done this with the Zhang Family.
If they monitored the Zhang Family, they may find something interesting.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Thanks for your efforts, Darling!'
Soon, 100 liang was gathered. Ms. Niu had to offer 20 liang and Ms. Fang lent them the remaining 80. Shao Erlang and Shao Silang would need to pay back Ms. Fang with their money every month in the years to come.
Ms. Niu and Second Uncle cared about their grandson, so they had to agree to the deal.
When the money was gathered, Ms. Zhang went to drop the money as the blackmailer had instructed.
The blackmailer told her to come alone and Ms. Zhang insisted on following the instructions.. So, she set off by herself…
Ms. Zhang and her brother had found a very good spot to make the deal. It was a long cave with two exits.
Zhang Dabao was waiting with Shao Xianwen whose hands and legs had tied, and he was gagged. The plan was that Ms. Zhang sneaked in from one end of the cave, gave Zhang Dabao the money, so Zhang Dabao could sneak out from the other end.
Even if someone stalked Ms. Zhang, all she needed to do was to stall the stalker, so Zhang Dabao could sneak away without being noticed. By that time, the boy would be back and the whole thing would end.
In this way, Zhang Dabao would have the money.
100 liang was enough for the Zhang Family to buy 10 mu of good fields and the remaining amount should last for a long time for them to live a leisure
As for the future… Ms. Zhang would definitely try to find other methods to get the money.
Shao Erlang had a stable income and she would always have the means to grab some money.
No one from her mother-in-law's family respected her, so she should think about her mother's family instead. She could rely on her mother's family and was going to depend on her beloved brother!
But what Ms. Zhang had not predicted was that when her father was delivering food to Zhang Dabao, Shao Erlang, Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi followed up and they were led all the way to the cave.
Zhang Dabao did not manage to escape. He, along with the money, was caught by Shao Yunduan and the others.
Ms. Zhang brought her son home. Ms. Niu cried badly seeing her grandson suffering from pain. Shao Xianwen, his mother and grandma all cried. It was a pitiful scene.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief, and consoled each other.
No matter what had happened, the boy was back, safe and sound. That was all what mattered.
Soon, Zhang Dabao was escorted to Shaoding Village with bruises all over his face, together with the huge bag filled with money…
Zhang Dabao had been to Shaoding Village many times, but most people from the village still did not recognize him.
At the beginning, when they saw this man escorted by Shao Erlang, Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi, they were confused.
They asked among themselves. "Who is this man?"
Only Ms. Zhang recognized Zhang Dabao the moment she saw him.
Her heart skipped a beat immediately. She screamed as she rushed out. "What are you doing? What have you done to my brother?!"
Zhang Dabao was such a coward. He was already very frightened when he was caught red-handed and beaten heavily by the angry Shao Erlang and escorted back to the village.
He cried loudly at Ms. Zhang. "Please, help me, Second Sister, please!"
Ms. Zhang did not regret a thing. She shouted at her husband and tried to defend her brother.
But Shao Erlang could not stand it any more. He kicked Ms. Zhang and shouted at her angrily. "You bitch, how ruthless you are!"
Ms. Zhang burst into tears.
Soon, the truth was revealed. Zhang Dabao vomited out everything. Ms. Zhang collapsed onto the ground and shook her head constantly. "No, no it was not like that!"
But no one believed her any more. Her denial was useless.
Zhang Dabao was caught red-handed by Shao Erlang with the money and Ms. Zhang had no way to defend herself.
Ms. Niu got so furious that she grabbed Ms. Zhangs hair and started to beat her.. "You bitch, you evil bitch! You are so ruthless! How could you do this to your own son? He is only four years old! You frightened him and may have even killed him!"
"Your family agreed to do something like this? Are you so poor to do such an immoral thing? Who do you think my grandson is? I am going to kill you now! "
The angrier Ms. Niu was, the more fiercely she kicked Ms. Zhang. She had turned mental.
Everyone was shocked by what Ms. Zhang did. No one showed any sympathy towards her. They were all looking down at her.
Ms. Zhangs voice turned loud as she was kicked by Ms. Niu. Startled, people went up to pull Ms. Niu away. "Okay, stop it. Stop it now. You are killing her!"
"Just vent your anger and stop it."
Nis. Niu panted and kicked Ms. Zhangs body hard. She sneered. "She deserves to be killed!"
Ms. Zhang was bruised all over and she had blood around her lips. Half of her clothes had been ripped off. Her hair was unkempt and much of the hair had been torn away by Ms. Niu.
She was crying in despair and snapped angrily. "What else could I do? What else could I do? You all hate me. You think I am poor and you think my family is poor! I have just one brother, the only heir of The Zhang Family! I have to help him, so what? Erlang earns money and gets one liang a month. In this way, he can get 12 liang a year. I can surely share some of it with my brother, right? You never give me any money, not even one penny! What else was I to
"You useless bastard, how dare you!" Ms. Niu got even more annoyed. She kicked her a few more times, cursing. "For your useless brother, you set up your own son? What reason did you have to do so?"
She then pointed at Zhang Dabao who was cringing in a corner. "Is he a cripple? Does he not have any limbs? He still depends on his married sisters?
Shame on this trash! For this trash, you didn't even care about your own son?"
Qiao Xuan glanced at Nis. Niu subconsciously. This Second Aunt-in-law of hers did know some principles. But they were more or less the same, essentially speaking.
Ms. Zhang cried even more loudly. "What am I to do? My brother is weak and he can't do hard work. If something happens to him, there will not be any bloodline passed on from our family! How can you be so ruthless?"
"You…" Ms. Niu got so annoyed. The villagers were all shocked, whispering among themselves.
There would never be any girls accepted from the Zhang Family any more. Their names were ruined. No in-laws would want to accept such a girl as their daughter-in-law.
After all, who would be willing to marry someone who only defended her own family.
Help could be given, but there needed to be a limit.
Ms. Zhang was not helping. She was supporting him.
Ms. Niu snapped. "Divorce her now. Now! Write the letter and make her leave. She wants her family, doesn't she? She can get out of here and live with her own family. We don't need anyone like her at our home!"
They were all taken aback, but not surprised.
Ms. Zhang screamed. "No, no way! My children cannot be motherless! Erlang, you can't divorce me!"
Shao Erlang was very annoyed, but a divorce might not be necessary.
Seeing Ms. Zhangs condition, he felt a little concerned. He turned to Ms. Niu.. "Mom, is that a little over the top?"
"What are you hesitating for?" Ms. Niu sneered. "This evil woman doesn't even care about her son. She is all for her brother. Your children will be killed if you keep her! Or are you going to make your children think that the Zhang Family are their only family? My grandson doesn't need a mother like this. She can just die! Even a tiger doesn't kill its own babies. She is not even as good as an
animal! Divorce her now!"
"Divorce her!" Second Uncle was annoyed too. He snorted. "Your mother is right. This evil woman can't be kept any longer. Who knows what other things she would do in the future? She doesn't think what she has done is wrong! Instead, she is blaming us for not giving her any money. You are working for the Yan Family and you earn more than one liang a month. The business is growing and your salary will grow too. You can remarry any good woman you want."
Shao Erlang turned hesitant as he looked at Ms. Zhang.
He had lost all affection for this woman after knowing what she did.
Ms. Zhang panicked. "No, no, Parents, Erlang, please, don't divorce me. I will never do anything like this again! Please, give me one more chance. I am the children's mother, and a stepmother will never treat them as 1 do! What would the children do in the future?"
Ms. Niu countered her. "You are worse than a stepmother. Shame on you! They don't need a mother like you. This divorce has to happen. Yunduan, write the divorce paper for him. Now! I don't want to see her any more!"
"You don't need to worry about the children. I am still alive. No one will bully my grandson as long as 1 am alive!"
Shao Erlang did not hesitate. He agreed and decided to prepare the divorce paper.
Ms. Zhang almost passed out. She was about to get up to grab Shao Erlang but got kicked away by Ms. Niu.
She tried to find her children to defend her, but Ms. Niu had already sent the children into the room and let Shao Meiling look after them.
Ms. Zhang was begging hysterically but Ms. Niu sneered and lectured her.
Nis. Yan could not stand it any longer. She did not feel sorry for Ms. Zhang, but for Shao Xianwen and his sister.
Also… for herself.
If there was no divorce, she would have the excuse to live separately from her in-laws. She was not going to live under the same roof with this evil woman.
Soon the divorce paper was prepared. Ms. Niu and Shao Erlang, together with Shao Dalang and Shao Sanlang, as well as some relatives from the same family, escorted Ms. Zhang and Zhang Dabao back to the Zhang Village.
Ms. Niu was not going to let this thing pass so easily especially when Ms. Zhang made the plan with her natal family.
She was still annoyed after divorcing Ms. Zhang. She needed to tell everyone about it!
She was going to let the whole village know what the Zhang Family was like, in case they became the one who got blamed for separating a mother from her children.
It was a big show at the Zhang Family.
Zhang Family's name became totally notorious.
The Zhang Family's seniors were also weird. They were caught red-handed by Shao Erlang, but still claimed that the Shao Family were accusing them of something they never did.
Seeing Zhang Dabao beaten heavily, Mrs. Zhang got so concerned that she insisted that the Shao Family should pay the medical bills for him..
Ms. Niu was so angry that she almost hit her.
In the end, it was the Land Officer and Elderly Men from the Zhang Village who came and suppressed the family, and sorted things out.
As for Mrs. Zhangs claim that the Shao Family accused her son of something he did not do and how they looked down at them because Shao Erlang had money so he divorced her daughter, no one wanted to hear about it.
Ms. Zhang gave birth to two children for Shao Erlang, and he was not someone who just made a huge fortune. The Shao Family would not set her up if she had behaved well.
The cousins from the Shao Family caught Zhang Dabao re&handed with the money, and the Shao Family had accumulated the money from different places, which was witnessed by many people in the village. The money was for Ms. Zhang to deliver to the blackmailer! But Zhang Dabao got all the money, so the truth was clear.
Land Officers and Elderly Men from the Zhang Village felt ashamed especially after Mrs. Zhangs words.
Seeing that Zhang Dabao could not escape the blame, Mrs. Zhang started to complain that the Shao Family were treating her daughter badly and they could do whatever they wanted with that woman. Ms. Zhang would not be allowed to return home, and the Shao Family could take her back and deal with her in whichever way they wanted.
Ms. Zhang was in tears. She kept begging Shao Erlang and Ms. Niu for forgiveness.
Shao Erlangs heart turned soft but Ms. Niu did not approve of that.
This damned old woman had just cursed her and her son, and even wanted her to compensate them? She was not going to allow any of this to happen.
Mrs. Zhang screamed loudly. "l don't care. I already married off my daughter. She is a part of your family now, not mine. She is not going to come back to our home, no matter what! If anything happens to her, that would be your fault! "
Ms. Niu was furious by her shamelessness. She sneered. "So, she is not part of your family? Then, why do you still need the money from her? Why not throw the money away?"
That made many people laugh. Everyone knew clearly what the Zhang Family was like, after all.
Ms. Niu felt proud seeing people's reaction. "We have driven her out of our family and we don't care if you take her back or not. You can do whatever you want with her!"
The Shao Family left, and Ms. Zhang got lectured by her mother. Some villagers could not stand it any more. The Land Officer lectured the family and told them to take Ms. Zhang back home. Finally, the crowd dispersed.
As for what Ms. Zhangs life was like at the Zhang Family had nothing to do with the second section of the Shao Family.
In Shaoding Village.
After Shao Dalang went to the Zhang Village with the second section of the family, Ms. Xu went into labor.
Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni both got anxious.
Ms. Fang was experienced, and Ms. Xu was having her third child, so she did not have many special feelings. After the midwife came, Ms. Xu soon gave birth to a son.
Ms. Xu had been well taken care of during pregnancy, and she was well fed too. So, the child was full term when he was born. He was chubby and lovely.
Both Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were glad.
The maids helped to carry the hot water, serve the chicken soup and put everything in order. Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan did not really help much anyway.
They were both quite distracted.
Was it so easy to give birth to a baby?
When Ms. Xu was in labor, they were both very nervous, far more nervous than Ms. Xu herself. Qiao Xuan could not help but think of the scenes in the TV-series that showed what child-bearing was like. She was frightened.
She had thought that it was going to take a long time. But the process ended soon.
Yang Xiaoni patted her chest, saying to Qiao Xuan emotionally, "Is it so easy to give birth to a child? I am not worried any more!"
Qiao Xuan laughed. She really wanted to tell her Third Sister-in-law that it was not very easy to give birth to a child. But she gave up the thought.
What was the point of frightening her?
Shao Dalang was told that he had become a father again when he arrived home. So, he smiled happily.
It was a warm scene in the first section of the family. Ms. Fang asked the maids to cook eggs, dyed them red and shared them with the neighbors. She even told Shao Dalang to inform Ms. Xu' s family.
Soon, the other sections of the family came to pass on the congratulations. The neighbors also came to greet them happily.
They all said that the child was lucky. He did not need to suffer a thing after he came to the world. It was said that Ms. Xu was lucky to have two sons.
Two sons and one daughter, and the only daughter-in-law of the first section of the family who had children. As long as she did not go about causing trouble like Ms. Zhang, good days awaited her.
All the daughters-in-law of other families were feeling quite jealous of Ms. Xu
They had never expected that the first section of the family would see the light of the day. They used to mock and tease them in the village, but things were different now.
Ms. Xu felt very satisfied. All she needed to do was to feed herself and the child well. She did not need to worry about anything else.
She even had maids to serve her water.
Qiao Xuan cooked dinner. She stewed chicken with wolfberries and ginseng for Ms. Xue Although Ms. Xu's delivery worked out well, still, she bled a lot. Her face was pale at the moment, and she needed to eat well to replenish her energy.
Celebrations were held in the family, both for Ms. Xu and for Shao Yunduan who was Provincial Champion.
Qiao Xuan spent a lot of effort on the dinner.
She made dozens of dishes, including crispy chicken, stewed lion head, braised soft-shelled turtle with ham, stuffed shiitake mushrooms, dry pot fish, blanched dried shredded tofu, etc…
They were all salivating over Qiao Xuan's dishes, and looked forward to the dinner, especially Shao Sanlang and Yang Xiaoni, who just could not stand the fragrance.
News spread around very fast. When the first section of the family had just finished the dinner, many people from the other sections of the family arrived.
Nis. Yan said with a smile, "l heard that the Fifth Cousin made it to
Recommended man, is that true? Congratulations!"
asked the question, but the news was already out. How could it be false?
Everyone from the first section of the family was shocked.
Oh yeah, they almost forgot.
Under normal circumstances, if Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan returned the night before and brought them this good news, Ms. Fang would have definitely shown it off across the whole village, including to the second and the third section of the family.
Her son brought honor to the family! She was definitely going to be very happy about it, and would definitely show off!
But Shao Xianwen went missing and Ms. Zhang, the culprit was caught and driven out of the family. Then, Ms. Xu gave birth to the baby… everything happened altogether and distracted them. So, everyone from the first section of the family forgot about this great news. They had not spread it out to anyone.
This news came from the Yang Village…
Ms. Fang smiled. "Yeah, it is true. Yunduan is ranked first in the exam! He is the Provincial Champion! I should have told you earlier, but 1 guess we all forgot about this since too many things were distracting us!'
Ms. Yan smiled brightly. "That is fantastic! Congratulations, Eldest Aunt. Fifth
Cousin has really boosted our family's name!"
Ms. Fang loved to hear that. She laughed. "Very true!"
Ms. Niu and Second Uncle felt quite distressed. But since the first section of the family helped a lot with what happened to Ms. Zhang, they could not change their attitude too fast. So, they had to force a smile and offer congratulations.
Ms. Ma and Third Uncle were different.
Ms. Ma was sour. She threw a look at Ms. Yan and snorted. "Ms. Yan, what are you so happy for? It is not your husband who made it, right? You don't even have anyone in your family who reads."
Ms. Yan was not angry and smiled instead. "Fifth Cousin's success as the recommended man brings honor to our family, so, of course I am very happy about it. Being able to read is a talent. We don't have it, but maybe our our children will. Nothing else matters, as long as we can live a happy life."
Ms. Niu did not like what Ms. Ma said, so she echoed her daughter-in-law's words. "True!"
Third Uncle said with jealousy evident in his voice, "Now you have cleared the examination, maybe you can teach your brother. If he can become a Cultivated Talent, that would bring double honor to our family!'
"Yeah." Ms. Ma snapped. "In fact, you should have taught him earlier!"
Eldest Uncle felt very guilty. He added. "Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law, it is not too late now. As long as Liulang likes it, Yunduan would be willing to teach him. If we have two recommended men in our family, it would be glorious. The two brothers can help each other too!"
"Yunduan, tell your Third Uncle and Third Aunt-in-law about it!"
Shao Yunduan shook his head at his mother who was about to say something. "Sure, as long as Sixth Cousin is willing to take help from me, 1 would be willing to do that!"
That was true.
In fact, he had tried to help Shao Liulang back in college, but Shao Liulang believed that he was better than Shao Yunduan and never wanted to listen to his instructions. He even tried to argue unreasonably with him.
The argument was so boring that Shao Yunduan decided to leave Shao Liulang alone.
He would only help him if he came over willingly.
Third Uncle and Ms. Ma were not very happy hearing that.
Ms. Ma snapped. "What is the point of saying this now? It is too late."
Shao Yunduan.
He did not argue back. Nor did he get angry.
Ms. Yan was watching the scene. She felt disdainful inside her heart.
It was the parents' fault anyway.
Third Uncle snapped. "You can't just make empty speech. You have to put it into action. Promise that you can help Liulang become a Cultivated Talent next year! "
Ms. Fang sneered.. "Are you joking, Third Brother? Promise? There can never be any promise like this! Don't be ridiculous!"
Qiao Xuan added, "Third Uncle, do you think the imperial examination is a joke? Even excellent masters can't make any promises, and you are asking my husband to make a promise? Anything can happen in the examination, so why do you think my husband can guarantee anything for you?"
Ms. Fang said, "Exactly, stop talking nonsense if you know nothing!'
Ms. Fang had worried that if her son and Liulang, who studied together, both failed to make it to Cultivated Talent, the couple from the third section of the family might take out their frustration on them. However, she had not planned to argue back.
But the couple's unreasonable behavior was becoming intolerable. Ms. Fang could not contain her anger any longer and sneered, "l remember someone always boasting about how Liulang was smarter and better learned than my son, and always getting praised by the teacher. That same person claimed my son's studies were a waste of money. Now, you blame my son for not teaching your son? Liulang never listened to my son before! You wouldn't even let my son teach yours. You said my son was arrogant and a bad influence on Liulang!
"You're all being ridiculous."
"Honestly, if you don't want to congratulate us, then don't. But mocking us serves no purpose."
Qiao Xuan managed to smile reassuringly at her mother-in-law. "Don't feel mocked, Mom. My husband is already the Provincial Champion, and he's definitely going to participate in the spring examination. He'll become an advanced scholar soon enough."
Ms. Fang beamed at her daughter-in-laws words. "That's great news!"
Nis. Ma, however, was seething with jealousy. "Becoming an advanced scholar isn't easy, you know. Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
Qiao Xuan shot back, "We're not counting chickens, Third Aunt-in-law. We're speaking auspicious words. Or do you not want us to succeed?"
Ms. Fang couldn't resist a dig at her husband's family. "Look, your brother won't even let his own son succeed. It's a shame, really."
Eldest Uncle, uncomfortable with the tension in the room, struggled to find the right words to say.
Ms. Fangs lips curved into a sneer as Third Uncle expressed his dissatisfaction. "Elder Sister-in-law, don't try to turn us against each other. I just want someone from the Shao Family who can be successful. Our son studied with your son at the same school, he is not bad either. Why… why didn't he make it? So I would like to ask you what is wrong with our son?!" Ms. Fang responded coolly, "Oh, then you can ask him if you want to, but don't mock him. My son is a Recommended Man and soon he will become an Advanced Scholar. By that time, he would be an officer, and you had better treat him nicely!'
Third Uncle and Ms. Ma were left speechless.
And their anger was mixed with fear.
They knew that humiliating an officer was not a joke, and Ms. Fang was not one to take things lying down.
Even Second Uncle and Ms. Niu's expressions changed, sensing the tension in the air.
Ms. Fang dismissed them with a wave of her hand. "It is getting late, you can go home if you don't have anything else to do here!"
As the two sections of the family left, they exchanged a look between themselves and parted their ways. Third Uncle and his wife seethed with anger, while Second Uncle and Ms. Niu felt distressed. It was a bad day for them, while the first section of the family had two pieces of good news at the door, making the comparison all the more irritating..
When good fortunes smiled upon the first section of the family, and their coffers were flush with cash, they knew they had to throw a grand banquet to celebrate.
The next day, Ms. Fang discussed the matter with Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, who gave her free reign to plan the festivities as she saw fit.
Ms. Fang was thrilled with the opportunity to take charge and make the event as lively as possible.
Shao Yunduan, however, had other concerns on his mind – about the Zhao family.
That wretched Zhao Guanghua had already tried to harm his Third Sister-in-law. Shao Yunduan wasn't going to let him get away with it so easily.
Yang Liang and Ms. Tian had already been punished for their involvement in the scheme, but Zhao Guanghua should face consequences as well.
As they discussed the matter, Yang Xiaoni couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. Shao Sanlang tried to console her and reminded Shao Yunduan in an angry tone, "If it weren't for you, Fifth Sister-in-law and Fifth Brother, things could have been far worse. Xiaoni may have escaped the trap, but her reputation could have been forever damaged. We should never forgive that despicable man."
"Fifth Brother, I know I'm not capable and not clever enough to handle this. So please, help me beat that bastard when he's caught!" Shao Sanlang pleaded with Shao Yunduan.
"Don't worry, Third Brother. We are family, and I will handle this. I won't let the Zhao Family get away so easily," Shao Yunduan assured him.
Zhao Guanghua and his father were despicable people. Although Yuezheng Xiao had helped temporarily resolve the issue, Shao Yunduan was determined to put an end to it once and for all.
People with narrow-mindedness and a deceitful nature were always causing trouble.
Shao Yunduan planned to completely remove the Zhao Family from their lives for what Zhao Guanghua did to them.
After breakfast, he and Qiao Xuan went directly to the County Magistrate's home.
Instead of confronting the Zhao Family directly, they were going to use the Qiao Family to deal with them.
Since County Magistrate Qiao owed Qiao Xuan a lot, the couple had no qualms about utilizing him to solve the problem.
County Magistrate Qiao had already heard the news from the province that there were only two recommended men from their county, and one of them was Shao Yunduan, who was the Provincial Champion!
This news made County Magistrate Qiao very pleased, as Shao Yunduan was not only his son-in-law, but also an accomplished scholar.
That made County Magistrate Qiao very glad.
Finally, he had one son-in-law who was a Provincial Champion!
Provincial Champion's achievement had already guaranteed him a place in the next level of the spring examination, provided that he passed the test based on his own merit without any interference.
Excited by the news, County Magistrate Qiao laughed heartily and expressed his emotions to his wife. "1 did not expect that Yunduan would be so excellent.
I have misjudged him before!"
Madame Qiao forced a flattering smile, but her true feelings were betrayed by her gritted teeth.
When County Magistrate Qiao finished his emotional speech, Madame Qiao smiled and said, "Why didn't Yunduan tell you about his talent? You could have helped him if he had revealed this to you."
"I wonder why he keeps his abilities a secret from you, Old Master. He doesn't even tell you about participating in the examination, and Xuan is the same
County Magistrate Qiao's smile faded, and he appeared a little displeased. However, he knew it was not the time to humiliate Shao Yunduan..
What if Shao Yunduan had the dumb luck and made it to Advanced Scholar and ranked high again?
What if he became recognized by some important figure in the capital?
What if… well… you never knew…
What if…
He couldn't help feeling uncertain about his past treatment of Shao Yunduan. He had never been kind to him.
Now he could understand why Shao Yunduan might have kept his talents hidden from him. It seemed perfectly reasonable that he would conceal such a secret.
Thinking about these, County Magistrate Qiao suddenly felt less saddened.
He spoke up, "Let's not dwell on the past. Instead, we should focus on the future and treat our family well. When they come to visit, we should welcome them with open arms. As for Xuan, she calls you mother and you should guide her properly, so that she knows I am her father and can work for me. This would benefit her and her family in the long run…"
Madame Qiao felt a wave of disgust wash over her.
That bitch was calling her mother… she did not deserve a thing of it!
She had previously tried to sabotage her own marriage with a promising fiancé, but now Shao Yunduan had become the Provincial Champion! What if… just what if he went on to become the national champion as well? No, that seemed far-fetched. How could she even consider such a preposterous idea?!
Shao Yunduan had no wealth to go further than this. The most he could do was to reach the level of Advanced Scholar!
But even if he was an Advanced Scholar, that was still a blow on them.
And her husband was paying attention to them now, which was totally unacceptable!
Madame Qiao smiled kindly and replied, "Of course, Old Master. I will make sure to treat them well and give them good instructions!"
"I trust your judgement!" Officer Qiao felt very gratified and satisfied.
"Oh, I've noticed that Xuan's wardrobe is a bit lacking. We should provide her with some nice garments and accessories to show her that we appreciate her new position," said Officer Qiao.
Madame Qiao's anger boiled inside her, but she kept a calm exterior.
She was seething with rage inside – good ornaments and garments for that woman? She didn't deserve any of them! And didn't her husband remember that she had already sold off her good garments and ornaments for money?
"The few ones I have right now are all my precious ones. Why should I give them away to Qiao Xuan for free?" Madame Qiao thought to herself.
"Old Master, I think it might be better to wait until after the spring examination before we do that. What do you think?" She suggested, trying to delay the decision.
Madame Qiao was not convinced. She tried to overturn the suggestion.
Officer Qiao replied. "No, no, that would be too late! It is the right time now!" Madame Qiao cursed to herself inwardly.
But she had to force a kind smile. "Yeah, right. I will arrange everything."
"Okay," Officer Qiao smiled. "l will have our strategists spread the news and ask them to join us the day after tomorrow. You should get ready for the reception! Let the kitchen prepare plenty of dishes and arrange a courtyard for them to rest comfortably."
Madame Qiao almost felt like throwing up blood. She clenched her hands around her handkerchief and forced a smile through gritted teeth. "Okay, Old Master," she said through the forced smile.
Officer Qiao got really satisfied, finally.
Once he was gone, she couldn't contain her rage any longer and took it out on the nearby tea cups, shattering them into pieces, panting heavily in anger..
"Bitch!'
Auntie Ling expressed sympathy towards her mistress.
Her mistress had apparently put in a lot of effort for nothing.
"It's alright, Madame Qiao. There's still a lot more to come," Auntie Ling consoled her, asking the other maids to clean up the scattered items on the ground. "He's just a Recommended Man, not yet holding an official position. We don't know what he'll be like in the future. The Old Master is just pleased with him at the moment, and you can just comply with his orders for now.
There's no need to let it upset you."
Madame Qiao composed herself and let out a sarcastic laugh. "You're absolutely right. I was foolish to be upset. The Old Master is the real fool here. He treats a simpleton as a prized possession. How can someone so dull succeed in the future? He'll be overwhelmed by the distractions of the capital and fail his exams!"
"Madame Qiao, you are right," agreed Auntie Ling.
The exchange between the mistress and the maid helped calm Madame Qiao's nerves.
She then instructed Auntie Ling to tidy up a courtyard, arrange for some shopping, and send for Qiao Wei.
Madame Qiao was particularly concerned about Qiao Wei, who had a low tolerance for injustice. She knew that Qiao Wei would be outraged when she heard what had happened and needed to be pacified first.
As expected, Qiao Wei was furious upon hearing the news.
"That's impossible! How can a poor Cultivated Talent become a Provincial Champion? The examiners must have been blind or he cheated!" Qiao Wei exclaimed.
Madame Qiao became nervous and said, "Stop talking nonsense!"
Qiao Wei only dared to complain in front of Madame Qiao. She knew better than to mention such ridiculous things.
Qiao Wei snapped, "Dad wants us to treat them well and prepare good gifts and news for that woman. And we're supposed to teach her too? She doesn't deserve any of this!"
Madame Qiao had a headache and said, "That's your dad's order, and we can't let him down…
"I disagree! Why can't we let him down? My brother is working at Hanlin Academy! Dad won't do anything to us just because that man got lucky and became a Recommended Man!"
"Save your breath. Everything is temporary, and we will get through it eventually. When your dad knows what they are really like, he will just kick them out without us doing anything. You need to be patient and try to endure it, or things will become very difficult for us after your marriage. There will be many obstacles along the way."
"Try to behave well in front of your dad and give her some of your nice ornaments."
Qiao Wei was initially persuaded, but her anger resurfaced when she was told to give Qiao Xuan some of her ornaments. She adamantly refused.
"No! She doesn't deserve my things! I would rather throw them away than give them to her!"
"And I don't want to pretend to be her beloved sister!"
Madame Qiao attempted to calm Qiao Wei down and advised her to develop the ability to accept people she didn't like, especially for the sake of her father. She emphasized that this skill would come in handy when she eventually married her husband.
She explained that if Qiao Wei acted kindly towards Qiao Xuan in front of their dad, he would treat her better in the future.
After much persuasion, Qiao Wei reluctantly agreed, but she knew deep down that she couldn't force herself to genuinely like her sister. However, she promised to avoid causing any trouble and to behave civilly towards Qiao Xuan for the sake of their father's happiness.
Madame Qiao sympathized with her daughter's predicament and acknowledged that changing her attitude towards Qiao Xuan would not be easy. She also agreed with Qiao Wei's complaints.
To ease the situation, Madame Qiao instructed Auntie Ling to inform Concubine Du and Qiao Kou about the new developments, so they could all be on the same page and not worry about any further issues for the time being..
Auntie Ling relayed Madame Qiao's message to Concubine Du and Qiao Kou, who understood what was expected of them – to give Qiao Xuan a hard time and mock her.
Once Auntie Ling had left, the mother and the daughter exchanged an irritated glance between them.
For one thing, they were very frustrated that Qiao Xuan's husband had advanced to the next level and even the Old Master had begun to take notice of them. Qiao Xuan had suddenly become an important figure in the family,
For another, they were frustrated that Madame Qiao was putting them in a difficult position by asking them to give Qiao Xuan trouble. They were unsure if this would really impress the Old Master?
However, they also knew that refusing to comply with Madame Qiao's wishes could have negative consequences for them. They depended on her for their livelihood, and they didn't want to risk falling out of her favor.
It was a dilemma for them.
But Madame Qiao had given them an order, and they couldn't just pretend to be sick to get out of it. Madame Qiao would not have accepted their absence.
"Mom, They're treating us like tools,"
Qiao Kou gritted her teeth, feeling a burning hatred for Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei that surpassed even her feelings towards Qiao Xuan. She became even more determined to sabotage Qiao Wei's marriage.
Concubine Du sneered in agreement. "We're just like servants, tools for their entertainment!"
Qiao Kou cried. "l am also dad's daughter…"
Concubine Du let out a deep sigh of relief. "So you have to find a good husband, and only in this way, will you be able to overthrow the situation you are in now."
So, they knew they had to tread carefully around Madame Qiao for the time being.
Offending her could mean risking their chances of finding a good husband and potentially causing themselves more trouble.
Look at Qiao Xuan!
The reason Qiao Xuan was able to rise to her current position was pure luck. No one had expected it to happen, and her success cannot be replicated. If it were to happen again, Concubine Du could not guarantee that her own daughter would have the same stroke of luck.
Perhaps it was premature to rely on luck for success.
After all, Shao Yunduan was merely a Recommended Man and not particularly significant.
Concubine Du was not willing to take any chances and risk her daughter's future.
"Leave it to me, forget about it."
Qiao Kou nodded, agreeing with her mother's decision.
In truth, Qiao Kou was not bothered by Madame Qiao's opinions of her.
She knew that their father would soon return to the capital, and he would not allow Madame Qiao to arrange a marriage for her at this time.
Qiao Kou was determined to ruin Qiao Wei's marriage when they returned to the capital.
She had never relied on Madame Qiao to find her a good match, so she wasn't concerned about offending her.
However, she also knew that it was best not to provoke Madame Qiao in case their life got worse.
As the family was still making their own plans, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan unexpectedly arrived at the door.
Madame Qiao sneered upon hearing the news, "The couple really knows when to come. We have misjudged them before!"
Auntie Ling had not yet finished tidying up the courtyard at this moment.
Officer Qiao was pleased with the timing of their visit.
It could only mean one thing – Shao Yunduan was trying to curry favor with him, otherwise he wouldn't have been so eager to see him.
This time, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were warmly welcomed by Officer Qiao. He patted Shao Yunduan on the back, engaging in friendly conversation as if they were close family.
Shao Yunduan adopted a humble attitude mixed with a respectful tone, indicating that he had not informed his father-in-law about his participation in the exams because he was afraid of failing..
Officer Qiao felt relieved and his happiness grew even more.
Meanwhile, in the backyard, Madame Qiao received Qiao Xuan along with Qiao Wei, Concubine Du, and Qiao Kou.
There was a subtle tension in the air.
In the past, Concubine Du had constantly mocked Qiao Xuan and looked down on her with disdain.
But now, the time was different.
It was Qiao Wei who seemed the most annoyed, sitting stiffly in her chair with a neutral expression.
Qiao Kou sat with her eyes lowered, lost in thought.
Even Auntie Ling and the other servants were treating Qiao Xuan with more respect and kindness than before.
Qiao Xuan couldn't help but think that power and status were truly practical. Her husband had only become a Recommended Man, yet the Qiao family and the people in the village were treating her differently. Even those who they often socialized with were now more polite and cautious around her.
Even the once-arrogant members of the second and third sections of the family retreated slightly when they heard about Shao Yunduan's potential future as an officer.
It was no wonder that throughout history people had pursued power, and yet many lost themselves after obtaining it, falling deeper into the abyss.
Shao Yunduan remained calm and clear-minded, his gaze gentle and smiling as he looked at Qiao Xuan. But she couldn't help but feel a bit confused about how long this gentleness would last.
She felt that she should trust him. But she felt that she should always keep a clear-mind as well.
Madame Qiao said warm congratulations to her, emphazing the importance of family and encouraged Qiao Xuan to visit often, especially since her husband was now part of the government and would be mingling with different people, like ladies and important madames. She reassured Qiao Xuan that she could always come to her for advice if she needed it. "We are a family, and we should share the honor and humiliation together and look into the future," Madame Qiao added.
Qiao Xuan replied politely and briefly, "Thank you."
She made a mental note to distance herself from the family as soon as she could. She was going to find the opportunity to break up with them instead.
Concubine Du spoke, showing a false smile. "Second Miss, you are very lucky, you have married a Recommended Man! You should thank Madame Qiao for setting you up with such a great husband. You should definitely thank her and respect her."
Qiao Xuan smiled. "You are right, Concubine Du. Don't feel jealous of me.
Madame Qiao is always kind, and treats us equally. I am sure she will find a great marriage alliance for the Third Sister."
Concubine Du, who had intended to just pretend, became annoyed hearing
Qiao Xuan's words. "You talk too much, Second Miss."
Qiao Kou sneered. "It's none of your business, Concubine Du!"
Qiao Xuan maintained her innocence. "l am just speaking the truth. Is there something wrong with that? I can stop if it bothers you."
Madame Qiao shot Concubine Du a disapproving look, silently cursing her behavior.
After laughing at Qiao Xuan. Concubine Du found herself on the receiving end of her own words.
Qiao Wei, unable to hold her tongue any longer, spoke up. "Concubine Du is right, you are quite talkative. Perhaps you've become arrogant? After all, your husband is just a Recommended Man, far removed from the true halls of power. Even if he does manage to advance, he'll likely be left to drift alone without anyone to help him. In a few years, no one will remember who he is.."
Qiao Xuan was displeased with the way Qiao Wei belittled Shao Yunduan.
But she knew better than to argue with her hot-headed sister.
Instead, she calmly interjected, "I beg to differ, sister. My husband is not just a recommended man, but also a Provincial Champion – the first one in the whole province. That is quite an achievement." "My husband will have a great and promising future!" Qiao Xuan expressed her pride.
Qiao Wei was visibly annoyed, "A promising future?!"
Qiao Xuan interrupted her before she could finish, "You don't think so? That was what my father said about him just now!"
Qiao Wei.
"Indeed, he is young and talented, with a very promising future ahead of him," Madame Qiao said with a forced smile. "Oh, and by the way, I have some beautiful garments and jewelry that I would like to give to you, Qiao Xuan." She quickly motioned for Auntie Ling to bring them out.
Despite her polite words, Madame Qiao's heart was heavy.
She didn't really want to give any gifts to Qiao Xuan, and had originally planned to buy some cheap ornaments from a street vendor.
Dozens of liang for some exquisite ornaments and a few garments should be enough.
However, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan arrived unexpectedly, leaving Madame Qiao with no time to buy new items. Reluctantly, she had to go through her own collection of jewelry.
She spent a long time pcking out a large pearl hairpin and a green jade
bracelet, which were worth more than 300 liang combined.
The garments were silk with golden edges.
When Auntie Ling arrived with the items, Concubine Du, Qiao Kou, and Qiao Wei were all fuming with annoyance.
How could Qiao Xuan, a mere woman, be gifted with such items? She didn't even deserve the right to receive them.
Concubine Du and Qiao Kou felt their hearts breaking. Even if they did not have such beautiful hairpins and bracelets, which should be worth more than a few hundred liang in total. Even Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei had few such items.
Concubine Du's most expensive golden bracelets with some rubies were not even worth one hundred liang, and Madame Qiao had scraped them away from her later.
Qiao Xuan almost burst into laughter seeing this. So rare that Madame Qiao offered stuff to her.
She was definitely going to take them.
She would not wear them. She would put them away in her space and pawn them later for money.
After all, she knew the true value of these ornaments, and it was not just a few hundred liang as she believed.
She had more savings than all of these together.
And she had many ornaments and garments too.
She herself did a lot of shopping in the province. She had bought proper clothes and some exquisite ornaments. She put them away for collection so she could use them in the future.
Moreover, First Madame had given her many other wonderful things.
Those were genuinely precious and valuable.
The ornaments with ruby and sapphire alone were worth 5,000 liang.
The hairpins had pearls that were flawless and large as one huge longan fruit.
What Madame Qiao offered were insignificant in comparison.
Madame Qiao smiled as if she were giving Qiao Xuan the best things ever, as she ordered Auntie Ling to deliver them to Qiao Xuan.
Qiao Xuan thanked Madame Qiao and reached out for the items, accidentally revealing the emerald bracelet on her wrist.
Madame Qiao's expression became tense and the others also noticed it, becoming uneasy.
Concubine Du smiled and asked, "Second Miss, did you acquire that bracelet on your own? It looks very valuable.."
Qiao Xuan smiled proudly, showing off her bracelet. "Oh, this," she said, rolling up her sleeves to reveal her pure white wrist.
The translucent bi-color jadeite bracelet stood out against her skin, creating a pleasing contrast.
"First Madame gave it to me," she continued, "her Auntie Hua told me it's worth around 10,000 liang and asked me to take good care of it. Breaking it would be such a pitiful thing. It was a gift from First Madame, you know. But for my husband who makes it to Provincial Champion, 1 would not have put it on!"
Madame Qiao's expression turned sour upon hearing this, and the others were envious of Qiao Xuan's prestigious gift. Even Concubine Du was impressed by the value of the bracelet.
The others all gasped in disbelief.
"What? Worth 10,000 liang? You must be joking!'
"l can't believe it either!"
Qiao Xuan simply smiled and replied, "l was just as surprised as you are. But Auntie Hua wouldn't deceive me. 10,000 liang is a small sum for the Yuezheng Family, isn't it? There's no need for her to lie about it.
Madame Qiao felt a pang of envy and jealousy hearing Qiao Xuan's casual tone when talking about such a large sum of money.
She cursed inwardly, calling Qiao Xuan pretentious.
Madame Qiao knew that she herself didn't even have 100 liang to her name, so hearing someone talk about 10,000 liang as if it were nothing only made her feel more inferior.
Even the Old Master, with all his wealth, did not have savings of more than 10,000 liang.
But soon Madame Qiao was attracted by the Yuezheng Family. "You said the First Madame gave you this? Why did she give you such a precious gift?"
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Young Master Yuezheng and my husband are good friends, and he likes him. First Madame invited us to visit her at her mansion so she gave this to me."
Madame Qiao's heart sank at the realization.
"You were at their mansion?"
The Yuezheng Family was known for their wealth, power, and influence.
Madame Qiao had always hoped to establish a connection with them, but they had never even set foot in their home. And now, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were already their guests?
The Provincial Champion was so precious like this?
"Yes, yes!"
Qiao Xuan nodded and continued, "The Yuezheng Family is truly grand. The carved beams and painted buildings, along with their exquisite furnishings, leave one absolutely dazzled. The spices smoked in First Madame's room alone cost a hundred liang. Their garden is also vast, adorned with a plethora of flowers and trees. There is an old camellia plant called eighteen bachelors that is said to have cost thousands of liang to buy. And then there are the many famous orchids, all cultivated in their glazed greenhouse, worth tens of thousands of gold…"
The others were all speechless as they listened to Qiao Xuan's story.
Gradually, Madame Qiao began to believe her words. However, she couldn't help but wonder how Qiao Xuan knew so much about the trees and decorations in the Yuezheng Family's mansion. She had never been there and had no knowledge of such things.
It seemed that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had managed to get close to the Yuezheng Family in some way.
Feeling jealous, Madame Qiao was still trying to make a plan of how to use this relationship…
Qiao Kou felt a surge of irritation. "The glazed windows are from the Yuezheng Family? That can't be right. Your husband wasn't even a recommended man back then. Are you telling me that you were already friends with the Yuezheng Family?"
Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile, "Yes, Young Master Yuezheng and my husband have been friends for quite some time now. The glazed windows were a gift from them. They had many unused things at their home, and my husband is a modest and low-profile person who doesn't like to boast about such things.."
"My husband doesn't like to flaunt his connections. People who do that could never be true friends with Young Master Yuezheng," Qiao Xuan said.
Qiao Kou. '
Qiao Kou felt as if her sister was indirectly criticizing her.
Madame Qiao's jealousy continued to grow, and she could no longer remain calm.
It was obvious that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had been friends with the Yuezheng Family for quite some time.
If only they had known about Shao Yunduan's friendship with the Yuezheng Family, they wouldn't have needed to worry about money at all. They used up all of their savings and even forced wealthy people to lend them money, tarnishing their own reputation.
At that time, they thought Shao Yunduan was just a minor manager who couldn't even hold a conversation with Young Master Yuezheng…
Madame Qiao quickly dismissed Qiao Xuan's story as bragging, believing that Shao Yunduan must have been a nobody in Young Master Yuezhengs eyes back then. She thought that the two only became closer after Shao Yunduan became the Provincial Champion.
Madame Qiao became increasingly annoyed.
Was the title of Provincial Champion really that precious?
Shao Yunduan was just a man from a poor family, and after he became the Provincial Champion, he became so well-received. And this woman Qiao Xuan was also raised in status!
Madame Qiao took a deep breath, feeling optimistic about the situation. She believed that they could benefit from the Yuezheng Family and acquire some wealth before returning to the capital next year.
They would need fine clothes and jewelry for their trip to the capital, so they wouldn't be looked down upon by others, would they?
And they would also need money to give bonuses to the servants, as well as presents for everyone in the mansion and their relatives. They would need money to host banquets and entertain guests.
Madame Qiao's constant need for money frustrated her even more as they had none. Her covetous gaze fell upon Qiao Xuan's jade bracelet, reflecting her greed.
In the privacy of their conversation, Qiao Wei was never one to hold back her thoughts, especially regarding her sister's behavior.
The jadeite bracelet on Qiao Xuan's wrist was a beautiful and noble piece, with excellent color and crystal clarity, resembling an emerald-green lake.
"Take off the bracelet and let me see it.'
Qiao Xuan hesitated, "I'd rather not. I don't want to risk damaging it. It's a gift from First Madame, and I should keep it safe. If you want to see it, you can come and view it yourself."
Qiao Xuan knew that if she took off the bracelet and showed it to Qiao Wei, she would never get it back.
Everyone loved this kind of beautiful bracelet.
'Qiao Xuan, what do you mean? You think we will take this into possession?" Qiao Wei shouted angrily.
Qiao Kou despised Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei, but pretending to be generous, she added, "Second Sister, we are all sisters, and this beautiful bracelet is too precious to keep to oneself. You can give it to Elder Sister as a token of our family's unity. It might even please First Madame to see us getting along so well. Or do you not want to offer it to us at all? Qiao Wei gave Qiao Kou a very praising look.
She was right this time.
Qiao Xuan burst out. "Of course 1 don't want to. 1 never see anything good, unlike you who always have good things to wear. So I need to keep it up!'
Qiao Kou.
Qiao Wei flushed out of utter anger.
She did not need to care a thing when no one outside the family was here..