121 Bad People
"Ms. Fang, he is really treating us to dinner, and he also said that we can just go there without bringing anything over. They are so kind! Don't say anything bad about them any more, okay?"
Eldest Uncle was so emotional when he spoke.
This was exactly what he had been looking forward to. The whole family was in harmony and no one was taking advantage of each other.
It was so nice.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look and understood why the second section of the family was suddenly asking them to eat dinner together.
Qiao Xuan pursed her lips and whispered. "I am not going, it is really dangerous."
Shao Yunduan said, "Don't worry, Mom won't…"
Before Shao Yunduan finished his words, Ms. Fang snorted and said harshly, "You can go there if you want to. Ask your children if they want to? I am not going though, I don't want to die there!"
"What are you talking about?" Eldest Uncle was surprised. He was so disappointed and felt as if cold water had been poured over his head.
He shared this good news as soon as he walked in. He was in a hurry to highlight that his brothers were actually nice. He had not expected that Ms. Fang would react like this.
"You must go! You said that they were stingy, but now you don't want to go when they are inviting us to dinner. You are such a piece of work!"
Eldest Uncle was really displeased.
"Dad, you don't know what happened today? I guess that is why Second Uncle wants to treat us to dinner. We better not go there," said Shao Yunduan.
Eldest Uncle was surprised. "What happened?"
Ms. Fang sneered and narrated the whole story.
She had intended to tell Eldest Uncle about what happened today, irrespective of whether there was any invitation for dinner.
She had gone through the story numerous times in her heart, so she finished the tale smoothly and fast.
Eldest Uncle. "…"
He was totally dumbfounded.
He felt that the head was buzzing…
Before he was able to think about it, he spilled out. "That can't be possible! Is there a misunderstanding?"
"A misunderstanding?" Ms. Fang's voice arose as she said angrily, "The whole village heard them, and they admitted it in front of the whole village! Now you are saying that it is a misunderstanding? In your eyes, everyone else is nice but me, right? I am a bad woman, am I?"
"No, no that is not what I mean! It is just…"
Eldest Uncle could not utter a word.
He felt so messed up in his heart.
"How could that be possible?"
How could they do something so hurtful!
Ms. Fang answered coldly. "From today onwards, I am not going to get involved with them. Moreover, they are never going to get anything from me. I would rather throw everything in the water than share it with them!"
Eldest Uncle opened his mouth but said nothing.
But later in the evening, Second Uncle and Third Uncle came over, reminding them about the dinner.
Eldest Uncle was at a loss. He had no idea how to turn them down. He had never refused them before either. He was about to agree subconsciously…
But… Ms. Fang turned them down directly.
"We have food at home. We will not be going over to your place. I can't afford to eat at your house ever."
122 Elder Sister-in-law
Second Uncle was not so confident any more. He smiled and coaxed her. "What are you talking about, Elder Sister-in-law, we are a family!"
"We live separately!" Ms. Fang sneered. "No one in our family is like this!"
Countered by Ms. Fang, Second Uncle could not hold the pleasant expression any more.
He snapped angrily. "Elder Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? We all make mistakes. Ms. Niu has learned from her mistake and she is going to correct herself in the future. We are expressing our regret through dinner tomorrow night. You can't just ignore our sincerity!"
"True!" Third Uncle added. "Ms. Ma is apologetic about her mistake as well. She is not going to make the same mistake ever again. She likes to spread rumors, but she is not a bad person!"
"Same goes for Ms. Niu!"
"Elder Brother, just talk to Elder Sister-in-law!"
"We are a family, and we will become a laughing stock for others around us, if we are not in a harmonious relationship!"
"True, Elder Brother!"
Both Second Uncle and Third Uncle understood clearly what the Eldest Uncle wanted. They knew how to make him feel soft-hearted.
They kept installing ideas into Eldest Uncle by saying sorry and how terribly they had behaved. Eventually, Eldest Uncle sighed. "Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma spread too much gossip. You have to watch out for them so that they won't make the same mistake again!"
"I can drop it this time, but I will tear their mouths apart, if it happens ever again!" Ms. Fang snorted. "But we are not going to have dinner with you. We are siblings, but we need to have a clear account. We have our own children and grandchildren, and we should keep the matters separated clearly. We are not taking advantage of your families, and you should never take advantage of us, either. Not ever. We are going to live separately!"
Second Uncle's and Third Uncle's faces changed.
"Elder Sister-in-law, you are still blaming us?"
Ms. Fang replied. "Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma hurt us so badly, why can't I remember this matter?"
Ms. Fang did not want to ignore that, no matter what Second Uncle and Third Uncle said.
She was still being reasonable by being polite. But if she gave in any further, it would be much harder for her to defend herself in the future.
The second section of the family and third section of the family were trying to set her up!
Their behavior was so annoying, especially when it came to the rumor that she was trying to get daughter-in-law's dowry. Ms. Fang had been a strong woman all her life. She just could not stand this accusation.
Both Shao Dalang, and Shao Yunduan were silent. They were apparently taking Ms. Fang's side.
Eldest Uncle intended to say something, but he had no one behind his back.
Second Uncle and Third Uncle left the first section of the family with sunk faces.
"How difficult it is to pursue a narrow-minded woman like this!"
"Just drop it for now. We can talk about it in the future."
Despite the anger, the two men did not think that Ms. Fang would stick to that attitude throughout her life.
They had a long way ahead of them.
When the two uncles left the first section of the family, everyone at home went down to their own business. They behaved normally, as if what had just happened was not so important, and as if no one cared about that.
Eldest Uncle felt weird inside his heart. He tried to talk it through, so that he could offer his brothers a chance of correcting their mistake. But he did not get that chance.
When the two uncles returned to their home, they blamed their wives for letting the rumor be heard by Ms. Fang.
"She is the type who takes revenge, got it? Now she has this issue in her hands. With this, she can do whatever she wants in the future!"
Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were very annoyed as well.
They did not mean to let the rumor spread. It was just a small talk. But for some reason, it sounded really big and bad in front of others.
Ms. Fang must have done it on purpose!
Also, Widow Sun was the main culprit! But for her big mouth, nothing like this would have happened.
That bitch was definitely going to be disciplined…
123 Shameless
On other hand, when Ding Qingqing and Widow Sun rushed home, they hugged each other and cried loudly.
Widow Sun was so annoyed. She kept cursing behind the door, whilst Ding Qingqing continued to cry.
The mother and daughter were living alone, so they felt isolated, in fights and arguments.
"Mom, just don't get involved with those women who gossip." Ding Qingqing suggested.
She felt so ashamed about what happened to them today.
But Widow Sun, who was feeling annoyed, got further angry when hearing what Ding Qingqing said. She gave Ding Qingqing a poke on the head. "You are terrible as a daughter! I am doing all this for you! Otherwise, what am I doing in this broken village?!"
Ding Qingqing got so upset that she shed tears.
She just could not understand why this was for her sake?
Widow Sun could not stop when she started to curse. "You must be dreaming about Shao Yunduan, aren't you? He is already married, so what are you fantasizing about him for? He is a Cultivated Talent but he is never going to make it further than that!"
Ding Qingqing could not help but cry harder. "No! You know that he is already married. What more can I do? You look down at Cultivated Talent, but who can be better than him?!"
Ding Qingqing sobbed and went into the room, shutting the door behind.
She really liked Shao Yunduan. She had liked him since she was little.
He was different from the other men in the village. He was quiet and clean, good-looking as well.
She knew that he was a class apart. Look at what he had achieved! He became a Cultivated Talent at such a young age!
But her mother did not like Ms. Fang, and when she mentioned that she wanted to marry him, her mother disapproved of it!
When he made it to the Cultivated Talent level, she got so happy that she wanted to share this with her mother, and maybe her mother would change her mind?
But before she was able to share the idea with her mother, he got engaged and soon married the daughter of the County Magistrate!
She spent the whole night crying in her blanket on his wedding day.
She had no hope to be with him any more!
After that, she barely went out, and she almost never saw him! Unexpectedly, they met under such circumstances!
She got so nervous upon seeing him, but she felt even sadder.
His wife was born in a rich family. How could she have compared to her? Also, her mother had such a row with his mother!
The more she thought about this, the sadder Ding Qingqing felt!
It was a dark night…
Silence dominated the whole village.
Everyone had gone to bed.
A black silhouette came to Widow Sun's doorstep, glanced about and gave a push to the door. He flashed inside and chained the door from inside.
After they had a good time together, Widow Sun leaned in his arms, speaking through clenched teeth. "Ms. Fang is horrible! You have to help me!"
The man hesitated but then consoled her. "She is a bitch, what are you stuck with her for? I am here to be with you! You said that you need a silver hairpin. I have got it here with me today."
Widow Sun was overjoyed, but still felt quite upset. "No, that is not enough! Are you afraid of them?"
"Of course not!"
"Then take revenge for me, otherwise I will not feel better inside my heart!"
124 Chance
"As the proverb goes, the County Magistrate isn't that useful. Even if they have a daughter of the County Magistrate and a Cultivated Talent, so what? You will always have the chance to bring them down. You can destroy them all, and they would not be able to do anything about it."
The man frowned even more deeply, and turned impatient.
Seeing that she did not want to give up the topic, the man said with a smile, "Okay, okay I promise you that I will teach them a lesson, whenever I have the chance!"
"You have to find the chance!"
"Okay, okay, baby, let's just drop this topic, we can just…"
"What? Oh…"
"…"
It was the Dragon Boat Festival.
Early in the morning, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went out together.
They went to watch the boat race in the county.
Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were excited and would have liked to follow along bBut Ms. Fang turned them down ruthlessly.
There were too many people at the race. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would not be able to take care of them. What if something happened to them?
The brother and sister did not insist either.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan took the bullock cart and went to the Yunshui River located in the south of the town.
The Yunshui River was a major river and it was flowing across the whole town.
The race was taking place on the broad side of the river, which was the best position for the race.
There was nice scenery around, and people often came here to ride horses and have fun, especially in spring.
When the two of them arrived, there were already many people on both sides of the riverbank. It was bustling, and people were well-dressed. They started to talk and cheer around, making comments.
It was the first time for Qiao Xuan to experience such a bustling scene. She got really excited to be here. Her eyes were large and sparkling. She looked around curiously.
Although there was no other entertainment in this era, the nature was pure and green, and she felt so happy to see all of this.
Looking at her enthusiasm, Shao Yunduan subconsciously slowed down and gave her a tour around, whilst thinking inside his heart – what a pitiful girl! She must have never been out in the town till now.
After a while, the two of them were united with those from the school.
Apart from Shao Yunduan, some of the fellows also had their family members with them and they greeted each other.
Qiao Xuan looked very pretty and behaved amicably. She stood out among everyone else, who knew about her background. So, they sized her up curiously and glanced at her on the sly.
Most of them could not help but feel jealous and envious of Shao Yunduan.
Honestly, Madame Qiao and County Magistrate Qiao had never revealed what Qiao Xuan had been through before she got married. After all, it was related to their reputation.
Therefore, all they knew about her was that she had a noble background.
Shao Liulang felt even worse inside his heart. Some of his fellows liked to tease him because they knew that he was narrow-minded. They kept saying that Shao Yunduan was lucky and talented, and that he was going to have a promising future. That made Shao Liulang feel even more jealous. He swore to himself that he was going to bring down Shao Yunduan on the occasion of couplet making today.
He was going to let everyone understand that he was more talented than Shao Yunduan, who had only pure luck on his side.
125 Face For Them
Soon, Dean Meng and Mr. Zhou as well as Mr. Wu from Minghua College came over as well.
All of them looked really excited.
"I did not expect that Officer Qiao would be here! He is hosting a banquet with County Officer Zhang ahead. Let's all go and celebrate with them! Oh yes, Madame Qiao and Lady Qiao are both here, so all of you should behave yourselves well…"
All the disciples looked both surprised and overjoyed.
"That is great!"
"Yes, that is such a rare opportunity!"
"Mr. Dean, don't worry, we will all behave well!"
As they were expressing their excitement, they could not help but look at Shao Yunduan, and they could not help but feel even more jealous.
Shao Yunduan was Officer Qiao's son-in-law. It must have been for his honor that Officer Qiao had gathered everyone!
Qiao Xuan followed along with the group.
Shao Yunduan looked at her. He could not help but show worries on his face.
Qiao Xuan smiled at him and shook her head slightly. "Don't worry, they don't want to be humiliated…"
They wanted to keep their facade and would not do anything to her openly.
Officer Qiao was her father, and the whole family was here, so she needed to greet them, no matter what.
Officer Qiao was having a great time with the folk, and all the officers were watching the show. But they were in a very good position, where they were separated from the others, with guards standing by so the civilians could remain separated.
It was a high spot in that area, where the view was excellent. It was not very close or far away from the bank. It was the perfect place to watch the show, not crowded but bustling.
So when the group came to this place, they were far removed from noise.
They all went up and greeted the honored guests.
Officer Qiao looked chubby and white, wearing a kind and affable smile. He was greeting everyone with politeness, and even chatted for a bit with Dean Meng who was asked to take the seat.
Qiao Xuan bowed and greeted them as well. "Hello, Father, Madame!"
"Oh… you are here? Oh… alright…" Officer Qiao was surprised to see Qiao Xuan here, and he almost burst out the question 'who are you?'
As he looked closer, he noticed that it was the concubine's daughter. Otherwise he would have lost his face in front of so many people.
Officer Qiao was very surprised. Somehow he sensed that his daughter seemed to look a bit different from before. No wonder he almost did not recognize her.
But that was a momentary thought which did not lead to any further ideas. He barely met this daughter of his before, and did not know well what she looked like.
But Madame Qiao's and Qiao Wei's faces changed. Qiao Wei was almost going to snap at Qiao Xuan, but for Madame Qiao's reminder.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "You are here too, come and take a seat!"
"Okay, Madame!"
Qiao Xuan smiled and behaved gently, walking towards the seat next to Madame Qiao with composure.
After she took the seat, she looked up and met Shao Yunduan's concerned look. She smiled at him, trying to console him.
She was right. Madame Qiao would not humiliate her in public.
Not everyone from the college had the seat, except for Dean Meng and some Cultivated Talents. All the others were standing behind the seats.
But Shao Liulang was different.
126 Young Master
Shao Liulang was not a Cultivated Talent, but he was Shao Yunduan's cousin, whilst Shao Yunduan was County Magistrate's son-in-law.
Therefore, Shao Liulang pretended not to know the rules, and took the seat. No one went up to ask him to get up.
Qiao Xuan soon noticed that on the left side of Officer Qiao, there were two strange young men seated.
Both of them were over 20 years old. One looked full of knowledge. He had a noble temperament, holding a folding fan, dressed in white, and was very elegant.
The other person was slightly younger. He had handsome features, and a pair of peach blossom eyes, flying diagonally into the temples, long and narrow. He looked bright. He had a smile on his face, giving people a feeling of laziness and arrogance. The royal blue robe with gold trim was very gorgeous, which made him even more eye-catching.
Both of them had a very interesting attitude towards Officer Qiao. They were polite, but not flattering. On the contrary, Officer Qiao seemed to flatter the handsome man in white every now and then.
By this point, Qiao Xuan more or less understood what was going on here.
Her father did not like to hang out with common folks. He was focussed on getting promoted and becoming rich. He was a very practical person.
In the past, he would have never come to watch the Dragon Boat Race. He must be here because of these two men who were interested in the race. He even had Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei with him.
So, this young master must be holding a high position.
Qiao Kou was also a follower of Qiao Wei, so Qiao Kou would always be with Qiao Wei wherever she was.
But, Qiao Kou was nowhere to be seen today.
Apparently, Qiao Wei did not need her to be around, and must have stopped Qiao Kou from meeting these two young masters.
What if Qiao Kou got in touch with either of them, Qiao Wei would be very displeased.
Qiao Xuan could not help but smile. That would be an interesting show!
Qiao Xuan was absolutely right.
At this moment in a small room of a small yard, Qiao Kou had finished crying hard. Concubine Du kept consoling her and said, "Don't cry any more, Third Miss. What if you get swollen eyes? What if Madame Qiao and Elder Miss see you?"
"So what?" Qiao Kou snapped angrily. "Qiao Wei, the bitch is so narrow-minded, selfish and arrogant. She has her own suitor but still doesn't want me to have a good suitor. She doesn't allow me to meet Young Master Xie, and also forbids me from meeting Young Master Zhang and Young Master Zhao! Mom, what should I do…?"
That white-clothed young master was called Xie Jingrong. He was the lineal Elder Grandson of the noble family, the Xie Family. It was a very prestigious family in the city.
He was talented, elegant and handsome. He was not into imperial examinations, but he was not someone to be looked down upon.
His lineal grandfather was the former Head of the Ministry of Personnel, whilst his father was the Left Officer of the Ministry of Rites. His mother was County Qingping, the only child of Lord Jian.
More than ten people of the Xie Family were working as officers in the capital or some local areas. Moreover, there were endless of them who had achieved the level of Recommended Man and Cultivated Talent, but were yet to be granted official titles.
That was a huge, noble clan that was far beyond the Qiao Family's reach.
Therefore, when Xie Jingrong was on a trip in this county with Yuezheng Xiao, who was the Third Young Master of the Yuezheng Family, an enormous business family, County Magistrate Qiao heard about it and came to greet them happily.
The Xie Family had a wide network. Although their clan was not based in the capital, they had a huge network in the capital. Therefore, County Magistrate Qiao hoped that the Xie Family could help with his transfer back to the capital. He was sure that he could make it happen!
127 Qiao Kou And Concubine Du
Concubine Du had heard that Xie Jingrong was not yet engaged, and she was very happy about that.
Qiao Kou was quite pretty and was also a miss from an officer's family. She should be a great match for Xie Jingrong.
Xie Jingrong was now in the county, and she believed that it was a good opportunity for the two of them to get married.
Qiao Kou had looked at Xie Jingrong briefly before, and felt so bashful even to think about marrying him.
If she could be martially connected to the Xie Family and became Xie Jingrong's wife, she would be really satisfied.
Xie Jingrong was not into the imperial examinations, but he was already a Recommended Man. With his talent, he could definitely become a Primus easily by exerting a little effort.
When they got married, things would be different. By that time, she could try to persuade him towards serious studies, and he would definitely become better.
Moreover, he had a great background. If he ever became a Primus, he would definitely make it to the highest position in his career.
That was a promising future!
Both Qiao Kou and Concubine Du had drawn a beautiful picture about his future in their heads.
Concubine Du coaxed Officer Qiao, and talked into Officer Qiao's ears. He was moved.
However, after speaking with Madame Qiao, Madame Qiao turned down the proposal calmly.
She was not as talkative as Concubine Du and did not make a long speech. All she said was that Xie Jingrong was from a noble family. He was talented, good-looking and his grandparents' positions were also high. He was even qualified enough to marry a princess, or some noble miss from a prestigious family!
Why would the Xie Family allow him to marry a mere concubine's daughter?
She had heard that Young Master Xie had a very high standard towards his future wife, and that was why he had not gotten married till date. Would Qiao Kou be capable enough to be a match for him?
They could not risk it!
Only then did Officer Qiao realize what was going on. He was taken aback.
He lectured Concubine Du severely who had been waiting for his news outside. She almost caused him a lot of trouble!
Concubine Du knew that it must have been Madame Qiao who created the disruption. She was angry and furious, but could do nothing about it.
The marriage would not work out, if the Madame of the family disapproved of it.
Qiao Kou was very annoyed too.
She had assumed that with Qiao Xuan's help, it seemed as if she had had a good position in the family.
She even sneaked out just to run into Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao.
However, Xie Jingrong and Yue Zhang Xiao returned to the hostel, after Officer Qiao's persuasion.
Madame Qiao sneered and told Officer Qiao what happened.
Officer Qiao got so furious that he slapped hard on Qiao Kou's face, grounding both her and her mother.
He was worried that Xie Jingrong would get angry about it, so he asked Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao to watch the race, as a way of compensation.
Qiao Wei kept sneering at Qiao Kou. She told her about the race, and then mocked her.
"Do you think you are good enough for Young Master Xie?"
Concubine Du even asked Madame Qiao to take Qiao Kou along for the race, but her request was turned down.
They were both really furious and sad, sitting at home…
The race started soon.
With Officer Qiao present here, the prize had to be good.
Officer Qiao expressed that the grand prize would be a roasted pig and goat, and the winning team would share the prizes.
In addition, the winning team would be granted 2 liang.
The prize was extremely luxurious!
128 Praises
Every team spared no efforts for the race this year, and the civilians were all very excited, cheering along the banks.
With the order put forward, the sound of drums was violently falling like raindrops, and the dragon boats that were ready to go like an arrow from the string, rushed forward across the water. The civilians on both sides were cheering in excitement, loudly.
The boats were speeding, chasing one after another. It was a great scene. Qiao Xuan was watching with a lot of concentration, and she almost clapped in excitement, but for the place she was seated at.
Qiao Wei rolled her eyes as she saw how Qiao Xuan got excited about the show. "How narrow-minded and stupid!"
Qiao Xuan blinked her eyes and turned to Qiao Xuan. "What are you talking about, sister?"
Qiao Wei sneered and said, "I am speaking highly of you!"
Qiao Xuan got excited and replied cheerfully, as her clear-looking eyes sparkled. "Thank you, sister, I think highly of you too!"
Qiao Wei got furious. "You!"
"Just drop it!" Madame Qiao turned to Qiao Xuan, and gave her a warning suggestion. "Just watch the show and don't talk."
"Okay, Mother!" Qiao Xuan smiled, looking obedient.
Madame Qiao sneered inwardly. She somehow felt that she had been making no efforts to tease this woman.
This bitch seemed to get so increasingly annoyed after she got married.
She used to be so obedient in the past.
Was she thinking that she was a broken jar and she did not need to care about anything?
Qiao Wei was even more furious. She was always the dominator among the three sisters, and could always do whatever she wanted! Now she had been set up by Qiao Xuan, who might have had no idea that she had set her up. But she was still really furious. She found that she had been tricked.
The race went on.
Although this section of the river was wide, it was obviously impossible for a total of 26 dragon boat teams to line up all at once. Therefore, the preliminary competition was divided four times over.
Each time the first place would be rematched to compete for the top spot.
The whole process of the game was very lively and intense. When everyone watched the game, they even wrote poems to add to the fun.
County Magistrate Qiao learned that Xie Jingrong was very talented, and that he loved to write poetry too. So he exchanged a few words with Xie Jingrong and then gave some regards to County Officer Zhang.
County Officer Zhang said loudly, " Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, which coincides with this lively event. We can't have fun without poetry? What about we all make some poems for the beautiful scenery around here?"
County Magistrate Qiao laughed and added. "Yes, yes, County Officer Zhang is right! Dean Meng, don't be restrained, just make some poems, so we can let Young Master Xie make some remarks about them. That would be such a great honor."
Xie Jingrong felt helpless, but he was a man with honor. Instead of countering him, he lowered his head slightly and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Officer Qiao!"
Yuezheng Xiao wasn't so happy. He rolled his eyes and said, "Poetry is too complicated, what about making couplets, and it adds much more money!"
County Magistrate Qiao was startled, but smiled when Xie Jingrong approved of this idea by default. "Good idea, good idea! Young Master Yuezheng is right! Let's make couplets!"
No one knew where Young Master Xie was from, but seeing how County Magistrate Qiao treated him, they all believed that he was a big figure.
129 Not Outstanding
County Officer Zhang added, and when Dean Meng agreed, all the disciples started to show off.
Someone made the first couplet, whilst the other made the second. All the couplets needed to be related to Dragon Boat.
Some were excellent, which were spoken highly of by the others.
Couplets included "Wormgrass for the men, and rush grass for the Emperor."
"Beautiful ladies among grass, pure-hearted scholars of poetry".
"Dragon Boat day and pear flower, Summer morning and birds chirping."
"…"
Hearing the couplets, Xie Jingrong believed that some were almost up to standard, so he made some remarks, causing them to want to make even more.
Shao Liulang had tried to make some couplets but none of them were good enough, failing to catch the attention of County Magistrate Qiao and Xie Jingrong.
He felt quite distressed.
But when he thought of how his cousin did not make any, he felt encouraged and less distressed.
Compared to Shao Yunduan, he was much better.
Motivated, Shao Liulang decided to scrape his brain to show his talent.
In fact, Shao Yunduan just did not want to make any couplets.
He did not like to stand out.
Also, Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao did not like him, and Madame Qiao held a grudge against him. In this case, he tried to keep a low-profile and stay away from the mess.
However, the more Shao Yunduan wanted to stay low-profile, the less he was able to.
When countered by Qiao Xuan, Qiao Wei had been holding a grudge against her sister and was trying her best to find a way to take revenge for the trap she herself had set .
She hated to be talked down to, so she decided to direct her grudge towards Shao Yunduan.
When all the disciples were competing among themselves, only Shao Yunduan stayed silent.
Qiao Wei, of course, did not know that Shao Yunduan was doing that on purpose. She thought that Shao Yunduan lacked the knowledge to make any couplets.
Therefore, she was going to humiliate this idiot in public.
That was like humiliating Qiao Xuan.
It would make her feel less annoyed.
Qiao Wei rolled her eyes, and whispered to her maid, Fendie next to her. The maid turned to Qiao Xuan, nodded and went to County Officer Zhang, passing on to him what Qiao Wei had said.
County Officer Zhang felt quite embarrassed.
He had no idea what was going on inside County Magistrate Qiao's family, but listening to the task assigned, he could tell what was going on for real.
He had heard of how Elder Miss normally behaved.
The Elder Miss ordered her maid to pass on the message to him that he should come up with a difficult idea for the Second Miss's husband to make a couplet, so that he could be humiliated.
It was such a stupid thing to do!
How could he humiliate a County Magistrate's son-in-law?
The County Magistrate would lose his face if his son-in-law was embarrassed.
But if he did not obey Elder Miss's order, this narrow-minded woman would tell Madame Qiao, who would ensure that his wife and daughter suffered greatly in the future.
Helplessly, County Officer Zhang still decided to do as instructed.
He chuckled and turned to Shao Yunduan. "Cultivated Talent Shao, you seem like a talented person, why don't you make a couplet for us to read?"
130 Elder Miss Qiao's Request
Everyone was startled. But they did not think that County Officer Zhang was setting up a trap for Shao Yunduan. Instead, they believed that County Officer Zhang was helping Shao Yunduan to stand out, so that he could behave well in front of the public.
They could not help but feel jealous again.
This man had found a huge shelter for himself!
Look at him! After he became related to the County Magistrate, even the County Officer was trying to help him…
That was what Shao Liulang thought as well.
He felt more jealous than anyone else.
Shao Liulang threw a look at Shao Yunduan, but smiled. "County Officer, my cousin isn't so good at it. What about me doing it in place of him?"
County Officer Zhang was startled, and Shao Yunduan fell into silence.
He also wished that Shao Liulang could stand out for him.
However, Qiao Wei was not pleased. She said loudly, "That doesn't work. You aren't part of our family, you can't replace him. What about you making a couplet instead?"
Qiao Wei turned to Qiao Xuan and smiled. She looked intimidating.
Qiao Xuan only had a little knowledge about characters, and she had never learned how to write poetry or lyrics, nor had she been taught how to play the zither, chess, or write calligraphy or draw. It would be great to see her humiliated in public!
No one dares to utter a sound any more.
That was Elder Miss Qiao's request, which no one dared to counter.
Yuezheng Xiao couldn't help but snort, but he was very interested in watching the show.
Xie Jingrong could not help but glance at Qiao Wei, thinking that this Elder Miss Qiao was so stupid.
She had showcased her real intentions.
But did she realize that if she humiliated her sister in public, her father would be humiliated too.
It seemed that Officer Qiao wasn't so good at governing the family.
He was suddenly reminded of another Miss Qiao whom he ran into, and he felt even worse about this family.
Officer Qiao's face had sunk. He raised his eyebrows and glared at Madame Qiao.
But Madame Qiao did not catch his message, since she was concentrating on something else.
Officer Qiao became even more furious!
This daughter of his was too spoiled by her mother, so that she had become arrogant and freewilled. Yes, he was the head of a county. Did that mean she could do whatever she wanted?
What about when they went back to the capital? This behavior would bring them so much trouble!
He had to discipline her when they returned…
Madame Qiao was also sighing inside her heart at the moment.
She had spoiled her daughter so much that she could not tolerate a thing. She was venting her anger at the moment.
She was just thinking about embarrassing Qiao Xuan through her husband, just to make her sad, but what about her father?
That bitch was also her father's daughter!
Madame Qiao knew that her husband would have given her a warning look, but what could she do right now? Her daughter had already spilled out the request, and anything she did would mean a slap on her daughter's face.
There was nothing she could do.
She had to pretend not to have caught her husband's message.
Hearing that Qiao Wei was trying to humiliate Qiao Xuan, he got anxious and angry, so he immediately retorted. "Wormgrass in front of households, folks cheer for the race of dragon boats! Sorry I am not that good at it, but here is your order, County Officer. I just made one randomly."
Under normal circumstances, when Shao Yunduan was done making the couplet, the whole thing would be over.
But Qiao Wei did not want to drop it. She chuckled at Qiao Xuan. "It is your turn, Sister. Make one to cheer everyone up!"
131 Not Her
Qiao Xuan was rolling her eyes inwardly – you can't even do that yourself, why forcing me?
Qiao Wei, who had been spoiled in the family, was not devoted to studies at all. She was no better than Qiao Xuan in talent either.
But she was the lineal daughter, whilst Qiao Xuan was the concubine's daughter, and at the mercy of Qiao Xuan. Hence, she could not use the same request to counter her. Otherwise the whole thing would get worse.
Qiao Xuan turned to her and said without hesitation, "I don't know how to."
Qiao Wei was surprised.
It was such a straightforward confession made without shame or embarrassment, that Qiao Wei did not know how to react.
"Women without knowledge are virtuous. I don't know how to make couplets." Qiao Xuan added.
She had no idea how to and she was not good at it either.
"You…" Qiao Wei just could not say anything to mock her, strike her down or humiliate her in this case.
"Alright…" Madame Qiao smiled and intervened. "Quan Xuan is right, women don't need to be good at this. Just drop the topic and watch the race."
"Yes, yes, watch the race!"
Officer Qiao let out a sigh of relief and let out a laugh.
County Officer Zhang was clever, so he changed the topic directly, followed by all the disciples who continued to watch the race. Finally, the topic was dropped.
Qiao Wei threw a glare at Qiao Xuan. Her face sank, and she was obviously not convinced.
Qiao Xuan ignored her. She knew that this sister of hers was so used to being intimidating that she could not change her personality at the moment.
But she was very surprised. Her father, who had been dreaming about getting promoted and cared so much about his face, must have noticed the inappropriate behaviors of his daughter. He was surely going to discipline her when they went back home.
Yuezheng Xiao, who was enjoying the show, could not help but throw a few looks at Qiao Xuan. He was both interested and surprised.
He had witnessed numerous fights between lineal daughters and concubine's daughters. Elder Miss Qiao was obviously trying to humiliate the Second Miss and her husband in public, but Second Miss was so straightforward about her lack of knowledge that Elder Miss Qiao could not do anything about it. Second Miss cut down the trouble directly.
Almost all the concubine's daughters whom he encountered, had always been brought down by the lineal daughters. Second Miss of the Qiao Family seemed to be quite interesting.
This Officer Qiao was even more interesting. He was an officer, and he married this concubine's daughter to an unknown Cultivated Talent?
That Cultivated Talent was obviously defending his wife, but he did not seem to have a good feeling towards the Qiao Family.
Yuezheng Xiao was a bit confused. He had not expected that there would be such a big show in a County Magistrate's family.
It was almost lunchtime, and the race came to a good end. Everyone waved goodbye to each other.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left before everyone else did.
"Had I known that we would run into them, I would not have come here!"
"It is my fault." Shao Yunduan sounded guilty. "I should have known about this before."
Qiao Xuan was not as angry as before. She smiled and waved her hand. "Officer Qiao did not have the interest in watching the show earlier. No one would have predicted that he would be here today! Oh, I really want to eat glutinous rice dumplings at home and barberries. Let's finish our errands and go home!"
Shao Yunduan nodded. "Okay, let's do it!"
The two of them went to landowners, hoping to see if there were any good fields available to buy.
132 Super Luck
The landowner smiled. "You are very lucky. Businessman Zhang is in urgent need of money, and he is selling 240 mu of good fields urgently. If you buy them now, you can start to cultivate crops, and harvest in autumn! But he is in a big hurry. He needs to have the deal done and paid for in the next two days. I was wondering how to contact you, and here you are!"
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were both quite happy.
Qiao Xuan chuckled. "This is our destiny! That good field is meant to be mine!"
"True!"
The two of them agreed that the landowner would bring them to have a look at the field the next day, and if they were okay with the deal, they would pay the money and sign the contract right then and there.
After they left the landowner, Qiao Xuan said to Shao Yunduan, "Let's write both our names on the deed, okay? We are still in a joint family and the yield has to be shared with the whole family. But if we live separately in the future, we will still continue to share a big portion with our parents and brothers."
Shao Yunduan was startled. "It is your field and you should write your own name on the deed. You can share the revenue portion at your will with the family. Mom is a very understanding woman, and she won't want to take advantage of you."
Qiao Xuan smiled and fell into a good mood.
What super luck she had that she ran into a family like this!
Her nature had always been like this. When she was treated well, she would pay those who treated her nicely back even better.
She was the one who earned the money, but she could not have earned this amount of money alone.
A single woman would not get a position for herself, if she had no one to lean on.
They were her shelter and bay, and with their help, she was able to do whatever she wanted.
They were helping each other.
"Just listen to my arrangement, please," said Qiao Xuan firmly.
Shao Yunduan opened his mouth and wondered what she meant. These were meant to be her private properties. Why would she not keep them separate? Was she not worried that it would be difficult for her to handle it in the future?
Or was she saying that she was not going to leave the family?
Shao Yunduan was not certain, and kept speculating on this matter in his head.
"Okay… you can take that call…"
They would think about that later.
At Mingren Tang, in the backyard, Manager Qin was receiving Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao politely.
Xie Jingrong was seeking a very difficult medical herb in this county.
But he had not yet paid the visit to the best pharmacy in the local area, before Officer Qiao came to his door. At this point, he finally had the chance to conduct his own business.
The two sides were just talking, when Yuezheng Xiao saw an employee craning his head. He smiled. "Manager Qin, your employee needs you now."
Manager Qin and Xie Jingrong turned to look into the direction of the speaker.
The employee could no longer hide himself. He took a step forward and smiled with a greeting.
Xie Jingrong nodded at Manager Qin. He said politely, "Please, Manager Qin."
Manager Qin smiled but glared at the employee. They had no secret at the pharmacy, and he could just share the message in front of Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao. "Just spill it."
The employee smiled. "Young Master Shao and Mrs. Shao are here to fetch the seeds. They are in a hurry to go home, so I came to urge you…"
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had the ability of getting such a large quantity of wild honey and gastrodia elata for the pharmacy, so they were well received at Manager Qin's place.
If those things could be well-planted, then the pharmacy would have a long-term deal with them.
133 Exception
Manager Qin was startled. He smiled. "I almost forgot about that… I will be out there soon!"
Manager Qin turned to Xie Jingrong and said, "Young Master Xie, Young Master Shao and his wife should be of great help for you. They live in the countryside, and often go into the mountains. They have brought numerous good things to us."
Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were startled.
Since Manager Qin said so, he must have gotten many excellent things from the couple but did not want to share those. Xie Jingrong said, "Okay, in this case, let's bring them in here."
"That is exactly what I mean." Manager Qin chuckled and asked his employee to get the couple in.
The employee answered and felt emotional. The couple was so lucky as to have come over at the moment. If the couple managed to help Young Master Xie with even a small thing, they would have no worries in their future life.
No worries ever!
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, who heard that the manager had already got the seeds for them, were so happy that they decided to buy them and leave quickly.
In this way, they could take a look in the market, buy some food and go home soon.
But the manager had something else in store for them…
When they came to the back hall, all four guests were startled.
"Cultivated Talent Shao, Second Miss of Qiao, what are you doing here?" Yuezheng Xiao's eyes widened in surprise.
Shao Yunduan smiled and greeted them. "This is quite coincidental! Sorry for the interruption…"
"No, no, it is no bother." Yuezheng Xiao smiled. "I did not expect that Manager Qin meant you two!"
Manager Qin could not help but smile as well. "Since you are all friends, then we can save a lot of trouble. Please, take your seats!"
"Yes!"
They exchanged greetings and sat down.
Manager Qin started the conversation.
Soon, Shao Yunduan turned speechless. "Young Master Xie, you are seeking a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old…"
"Yes." Xie Jingrong said, "I don't know much about this county, so I came to the pharmacy to see if there are any contacts that can be used. Manager Qin suggests that you can help, so please, I would like you to help me, and if the deal is done, I will pay you a great amount as compensation."
Pharmacies had their own sources of medical herbs. Some were planted inside the pharmacies, or cultivated by medical farmers or imported by herb businessmen.
For ordinary medicinal materials, if a villager got five or four kgs and sold them in a medical store, they would not accept such small things since they had to process the materials, and the volume would be too small for processing.
They would not want to do that.
But there was always an exception.
If rare medical materials were brought to the door, the pharmacies would accept that readily.
Some pharmacies would even entrust experienced old hunters and farmers who knew about the mountains to seek rare things.
That was why Xie Jingrong came to Mingren Tang.
Xie Jingrong was very much respected by people around because he came to the door personally and treated the manager politely, despite being a man from a highly noble family.
Shao Yunduan replied politely. "Thanks Young Master Xie, we can definitely help you if we have the chance. But a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old can be difficult to find."
Xie Jingrong smiled and sighed. "I know, just do your best, that would be enough."
134 Pause
Qiao Xuan smiled and said to Shao Yunduan, "Darling, Chinese fleeceflower root is a very commonly-seen thing. Although it isn't available everywhere, it is not so difficult to find. Since you have asked for it, Young Master Xie, we will definitely give it our best."
It was a favor being sent to the door.
It was just a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old.
They could simply go into the mountains to seek for that with her superpower, one mountain after another. They would always find it.
She could even find one which was 300 or 400 years old, and with her superpower, she could urge it to grow faster so the plant became 500 years old…
Young Master Xie was a person whom even her father was afraid of. So, he must be a very important figure.
She had to cozy up to him who was so powerful. It would be a pity to let go of this chance.
Hearing what Qiao Xuan said, Shao Yunduan almost burst out in helplessness. She was lucky, indeed, but she should not be this arrogant!
After all, luck was an uncertain thing. It could not be touched or felt. Who could predict what might happen next?
But he did not counter her when they were facing outsiders.
He was worried, though, that she would say something that could not be realized, so Shao Yunduan added. "Yes, we will surely try, but we can't guarantee a good result."
Yuezheng Xiao looked at both of them and then finally at Manager Qin. This couple looked to be quite unreliable.
They seemed too indifferent, when they spoke about this matter.
Manager Qin, however, was very confident about the couple. He added with a smile. "Yes, yes, please, Young Master Shao and Madame Shao. Just go and do the needful. I will be waiting for your good news!"
"…"
By this point, even Xie Jingrong found that they seemed unreliable.
He thought that it would always be better, if they could entrust Manager Qin to find some other helpers as well.
There were many mountains in the county and the possibility seemed relatively small of just two people finding the requisite root.
"We will!" said Shao Yunduan as he got up, saying goodbye to them.
Manager Qin did not keep them, but asked his employees to open the door to fetch the seeds of notoginseng and false starwort for them.
Qiao Xuan looked at Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao, not knowing what to say.
Manager Qin did not know about her and County Magistrate Qiao's relationship, and she did not want more people to know about this, which might cause trouble.
She wondered if these two people would spill out her real identity…
Yuezheng Xiao noticed her behavior and smiled. "Anything you would like to say, Madame Shao?"
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Should we deliver Chinese fleeceflower roots to Mingren Tang directly?"
Xie Jingrong answered. "Yes."
"Okay…" Qiao Xuan nodded and said, "Me and my husband are just common, ordinary villagers in the mountains, and we have no strong background behind us, nor do we know much about what is going on around, but we know what is in the mountains, so we will try our best to find it!"
Shao Yunduan instantly understood what Qiao Xuan meant. He added frankly. "Yes, so please wait for our message patiently, and if the deal fails, please forgive us… that is all…"
Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were both smart men. They thought for a while and eventually understood what the couple meant.
Yuezheng Xiao laughed involuntarily. "No worries!"
135 An Image
Yuezheng Xiao got even more curious. What was going on with County Magistrate Qiao's family? Manager Qin was not aware of Second Miss's real identity. This Second Miss did not seem to care about being married to a farmer's family, and even offered to look for Chinese fleeceflower roots!
Could she be the County Magistrate's real daughter? Or was she raised in the countryside?
Could she really do it?
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan let out a sigh of relief, leaving directly.
"Darling, this is a great opportunity, let's go and buy some food to celebrate!"
Qiao Xuan was very happy.
Shao Yunduan did not want to discourage her, so he nodded. "Yes, let's just try our best."
If the deal was accomplished, it would be a huge favor they would have done for the powerful people. If not, they would have to accept it frankly. They could not be afraid of being defeated, otherwise they would be very sad, if they failed. They needed to stay calm.
Qiao Xuan bought pork belly, ribs, two fat ducks, a roast chicken, some snacks, and head flowers for Taotao and Shao Qing.
When she was done shopping, she started to head home with Shao Yunduan.
At Mingren Tang, Xie Jingrong still asked Manager Qin to entrust several more hunters and experienced veterans in the mountains for help, before leaving with Yuezheng Xiao.
Yuezheng Xiao could not help but laugh. "Officer Qiao's family is quite interesting. Look at that Second Miss, she is more than ordinary."
Then he laughed as well. "Honestly, I have never met any concubine's daughter like her!"
Xie Jingrong frowned slightly as he turned to him. "The Qiao Family isn't a family with integrity, let's just drop it. But the Second Miss seems quite different."
Not that he really cared how she was.
He was definitely going to return her favor, if she was able to find Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old. That was all he could do, since he was not interested in the Qiao Family.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan traveled home leisurely on his bullock cart.
The cart moved very slowly.
While they were on the cart, they could notice what was going on around them.
When they found a tall, young man lying in a coma in the grass on the roadside, they could not help but stop, exchanging a look between themselves.
"Hang here, let me go and have a look…" Shao Yunduan said.
"Let me go with you!"
"Okay."
The couple wanted to save people.
Otherwise they would feel really uncomfortable afterwards, and would never be able to get over the lump.
Qiao Xuan went down the cart and wondered what happened to the man.
Shao Yunduan came to the man's side, felt his nose and sighed in relief. "He is still breathing, he should be fine. Come, help me pick him up."
"Okay!"
The couple spared no effort to help this tall man up. He was leaning against Shao Yunduan.
Suddenly, Qiao Xuan felt stiffened, and started to turn dizzy.
In front of her eyes, like a revolving lantern, a fragmented but clear picture appeared.
In the desert and yellow sand, the flags and banners were floating in the wind, the generals looked majestic and there were thousands of troops behind them.
The general returned triumphantly, and when he entered the city, the crowd was surging, and the people and officials shouted loudly.
In the Golden Throne Hall, the old emperor laughed heartily. He conferred the title and rewarded the general.
….
There were about ten pictures, each of which was not connected, but the general in each picture was the same person, and the appearance of that person closely resembled the man in front of them. Actually, they were the same person.
136 What To See
What… What was going on?
Qiao Xuan was almost dumbfounded.
What on earth had she seen? The future of this man?
Or maybe the past?
Qiao Xuan shook herself out of her stupor. Suddenly, she was very motivated to save him.
At this moment, Shao Yunduan let out a low cry. "He has wounds on his back and thighs. Let's help him bandage that!"
"Okay!"
Neither of them were professional medical people. Moreover, this man was not only wounded but also starved. So, when the couple was done bandaging him, they fed him water, before he slowly woke up. They fed him almost 250 grams of snacks slowly. His mind became clear, gradually.
"Who… are you?"
Shao Yunduan replied calmly. "We were passing by and saw you in a coma. How are you feeling now? Better?"
Startled, the man greeted the couple. "Thank you for saving my life."
"It is okay." Shao Yunduan could not accept such a big gesture, but waved his hands and said, "We were just passing by, not a big deal. Where is your home? We will drop you there."
Home? The man looked confused and miserable.
He had no home. He left home when he was much younger, full of ambition, always thinking that he could make a name for himself but eventually ended up gaining nothing.
After a few years of wandering, he returned, but by then, his parents were dead. His uncle had taken hold of the properties and insisted that he had committed a crime outside. So he got irritated and hit them. The others couldn't help but rush up and took the opportunity to beat him fiercely, before locking him up in the woodshed.
He had no idea how they were going to deal with him, but he knew that it was not going to be good.
After being in the woodshed for three days, he managed to escape but ended up passing out here on the spot in pain and starvation.
Unexpectedly, he was saved by two kind-hearted people.
There were good people in this world.
He was no longer so angry, at the sight of this couple in front of him.
"Thanks, but it is fine, you can leave me here. If I…"
He originally wanted to say that if there was a chance in the future, he would definitely repay them, but then he thought about it, and realized that he had gotten to this point, what was his future? What could he do in return? It all seemed so ridiculous.
He laughed self-mockingly. "Anyway, thanks very much for saving me. You will definitely have a great fortune in the future."
Qiao Xuan was not gonna let go of this opportunity.
Immediately, she handed the roast chicken and a packet of dim sum to the man, and said with a smile, "If that's the case, we will just leave. Our village is not close by, so we should go back."
The man nodded. "Please."
The man had woken up and he should be fine, so Shao Yunduan greeted him and left with Qiao Xuan.
The two of them went back to the bullock cart and continued on their journey.
They could not help but exchange a few emotional words.
The man saw them off, until they disappeared out of sight. He struggled back on his feet, and went to an isolated place.
He was starved and needed to regain energy before he could do anything else.
He opened the paper that was supposed to hold roasted chicken, but his eyes suddenly widened.
In one of the layers, there were almost 2 liang in change as well as one well-folded note of 50 liang.
No one would have put the money in this place accidentally. They must have given the money to him on purpose.
He was so messy looking and homeless. They must be trying to help him out!
The man could not help but feel like crying, as he held the money and food in his arms.
137 An Idea
"Shaoding Village…"
He mumbled inside his heart. He swore that he was definitely going to become someone accomplished in the future.
At that time, he would return the favor and more importantly, take his revenge!
He was not going to live the rest of his life as a useless person.
When Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were back home, the glutinous dumplings were already steaming.
The dumplings were put in a large iron pot, covered with a heavy wooden lid, and cooked on the stove. Some of the steam was escaping the lid, spreading the aroma of fresh grass and leaves in the whole room.
It was festival time and everyone was craving the dumplings, which were eaten only once a year.
They did not even eat lunch, and instead waited for the dumplings.
Seeing them returning, Ms. Fang opened the lid and scooped out some large ones for them to eat.
Meat dumplings, pork ribs dumplings, bean dumplings, eight-treasure dumplings, and alkaline water dumplings were marked when they were being wrapped. The length and number of straw cores in each kind of dumpling were different, so it was easy to distinguish.
Shao Taotao and Qiao Xuan helped open the dumplings. The dumplings were cut into pieces with the straw core that bound them, before they were placed on the plate.
The shining dumplings looked beautiful and smooth in appearance, and when they were twisted open, the aroma of rice, meat, or sweetness inside was mouth-watering and attractive.
"The meat dumplings smell so great!"
"I want meat dumplings too, they look so delicious!"
Ms. Fang smiled. "Alright, alright, we have a large number of them. Eat as many as you want!"
She had money and could afford to make those dumplings.
It was a festival and they should all be happy during this period.
Long strips of pork belly and large ribs had been marinated with five-spice powder, soy sauce, shredded ginger, green onion, cooking wine, etc last night. They were wrapped in the dumplings and boiled for nearly two hours. The bones could be easily broken in one bite.
Mixed with the fragrance of glutinous rice soaked and boiled in alkaline water, the dumplings were really delicious.
They had never eaten meat dumplings before. This year's food was really sumptuous.
After the glutinous dumplings, they ate a few fresh bayberries and loquats to relieve tiredness, which was perfect.
Among the fruit trees transplanted in Qiao Xuan's garden, the bayberry, loquat, and plum did not fall out. A lot of them were left on the tree. They were now ripe, so Qiao Xuan brought a few young ones to the yard to pick the fruits. It was a lively scene.
Everyone was amazed, saying that it was not a wasteland. It was obviously a treasure land. Not only was the sweet spring water dug up, but also the fruit trees and gastrodia elata were growing very well.
The fruits tasted so sweet!
At night, Qiao Xuan cooked the food.
She had pickles at home, and really wanted to make a bowl of pickled fish today, so she took Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao to go fishing in the river in the afternoon.
They held fishing poles in their hands, which were brought by Shao Sanlang from somewhere.
Shao Yunduan also went fishing with them.
Shao Sanlang came back with a fishing rod two days ago and had been shouting ever since to go fishing with them. But when the time came, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is Third Brother? He was here just a while ago!" Shao Xiaoqi was confused.
Shao Taotao shook her head, looking bemused as well.
Qiao Xuan thought for a while and burst into laughter. She said to Shao Yunduan, "I have an idea…"
Shao Yunduan was startled and smiled. "Just leave him alone."
He would be very careful about it.
"Yes!" Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. "Let's go!"
Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were confused about what was happening, but were extremely motivated to go fishing.
"We are going fishing!"
It was alright even if Third Brother wasn't with them.
138 Laughing
Third Brother had stolen three meat dumplings, wrapped them in leaves randomly and gone to find his wife-to-be, Yang Xiaoni.
It was a festival but Yang Xiaoni still needed to work. She was out in the mountains, chopping wood.
Normally, the bride-to-be should be resting at home, sorting her dowry and everything. She should be very busy with all that.
Unfortunately, Yang Xiaoni was not treated in this way.
But she was glad that soon, she would not need to do anything like this any more.
When Shao Sanlang found her, she was eating wild fruits in the mountains.
"Brother Sanlang!" Yang Xiaoni cheered as she saw Shao Sanlang.
Shao Sanlang looked up and saw her, laughing along the side. He rushed to her.
The two of them sneaked into the forests by default. This way they could not be discovered so easily.
The same mistake could not be made twice!
Yang Xiaoni sniffed and her eyes sparkled. "It smells so good. Third Brother, what have you brought for me?"
Shao Sanlang gazed at her proudly. "Just guess!"
Yang Xiaoni sniffed again. "Ah, it is glutinous dumplings!"
"Yes! It is made by Fifth Sister-in-law. There is pork belly and ribs filling inside. It is delicious, I have brought you three!"
"Really? I am going to have a good taste of it!" Yang Xiaoni rubbed her hands, and could not wait and took a bite when Shao Sanlang opened it for her.
The dumplings were bursting with fillings. Every bite would reach the meat.
The fragrant glutinous rice dumplings and the fragrant and soft meat of the dumplings were blended together very well. The aroma was tangy, and it was so delicious after the first bite, that one could not wait to swallow a piece of the tongue also alongside.
"It is really yummy!" Yang Xiaoni's eyes sparkled. She was obsessed and just could not stop eating them.
Shao Sanlang felt very pleased. "What did I tell you? When you move in, you will know how well my fifth sister-in-law cooks! She is like no one else!"
Yang Xiaoni agreed and looked expectant. "I have never eaten a dumpling as good as this. Our fifth sister-in-law is so good at cooking! I wish I could move in with you directly. I will treat Fifth Sister-in-law well in the future!"
Shao Sanlang smiled. "It is happening soon! I am counting the days, only 15 days left!"
"Yes!"
They laughed at each other happily.
Satisfied by the meat dumplings, Yang Xiaoni held one in her arms and they continued to talk for some more time, before they separated at the entrance of the Yang Family.
They unwillingly waved each other goodbye.
Ms. Tian came and glared at Yang Xiaoni the moment she arrived home.
Yang Xiaoni saw that this woman was throwing temper again. She put down the chopped wood and dashed off before Ms. Tian could say a word.
She had already eaten two glutinous rice dumplings and held one in her arms for dinner, so she did not have to eat with them.
"You bitch, being lazy all the time, stupid and lazy, no food for you!"
Ms. Tian was still cursing her when she left.
Ms. Tian cursed at Yang Liang when returned.
Then she started to curse the whole Shao Family.
139 His Own Reasons
"It is a festival! Look at the Shao Family, they have given us nothing this time around! They don't treat us seriously! They won't spare a look at us in the future, forget before the girl marries the family."
That was why Ms. Tian was extra unfriendly to Yang Xiaoni today.
She had assumed that the Shao Family would offer them some gifts at festivals, since the wedding was to be hosted in no time.
She even looked forward to receiving glutinous dumplings and eggs from the Shao Family, as well as two chickens.
They were waiting from morning to the evening, but received nothing.
Ms. Tian was really annoyed!
Yang Liang, who never had any opinion for himself, got furious after hearing the instigating words from Ms. Tian.
"I told you that this marriage would not work! The Shao Family is looking down at us! Now you know that they are not going to regard us as part of their family!"
Yang Liang got even angrier. "It is settled! They have spent so much on the wedding gift. Do you think they will break off the engagement? Just keep your mouth shut, no more nonsense!"
Ms. Tian had not expected that he would counter her in this way. She screamed. "How dare you counter me? Yang Liang!"
The couple had a row with each other.
The neighbors could not help but sigh, hearing their arguments.
The Shao Family would definitely not go to the second section of the family for dinner.
Eldest Uncle had to go there alone, since Ms. Fang refused to follow along.
He had his own reasons. Yes, his sister-in-laws had been at fault, but they had realized their mistakes already, right?
Since they already knew about it, and offered dinner at their place, why not give them a chance to repent?
What more did they expect them to do, when they apologized. They were all a family, and could not possibly be treated like criminals after just one mistake, right? That would be ruthless.
But Ms. Fang was in the midst of being angry, so Eldest Uncle could do nothing but leave her alone.
Eldest Uncle asked Shao Sanlang and Shao Dalang to follow him for dinner. But Shao Dalang hesitated, whilst Shao Sanlang snapped directly. "I am not going! Fifth Sister-in-law is cooking delicious dishes tonight and I am definitely eating at home!"
Could Second Aunt-in-law's food exceed that of Fifth Sister-in-law's?
Fifth Sister-in-law was going to make a huge feast for the family. He had been looking forward to this dinner for days.
Eldest Uncle got so stuck – dumbass! He knew nothing except for food!
Could he do anything else apart from that?
Eldest Uncle glared at Shao Sanlang. "Second Aunt-in-law is killing chickens, why not go there? You are old enough to understand etiquette!"
Shao Sanlang was straightforward as always. "We have no chicken tonight, but we have ducks, ribs, pork belly, fish and shrimps!"
"You!" Eldest Uncle glared at him. "Eating is the only thing you know!"
Shao Sanlang laughed and scratched his head. "That is true, Dad!"
He was so blatant about it!
Eldest Uncle. "…"
This boy was trying to irritate him to death.
Ms. Fang wanted to laugh but could not. She held a tight face. "So what? Good that he loves eating! You can go there alone, don't try to drag us with you!"
Eldest Uncle snorted and ignored her.
Yes, he was going alone, so what!
He was going now!
Angry, Eldest Uncle left home directly.
140 Festival
The whole family let out a sigh of relief, and they went all out to make preparations for the dinner.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan decided to get a big fish in the afternoon, so Shao Xiaoqi took them to a relatively isolated and deep-water area of the river.
There was one section where long and many seaweeds were growing. Shao Taotao as well as Shao Xiaoqi were fishing shrimps using a net whilst Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were fishing on the bank.
Qiao Xuan looked calm, but actually, she could not do anything.
With her superpower, she was able to see endless fish in the seaweeds, but that did not help. They were not able to catch any of it.
Luckily, there were enough fish and shrimps in the river, and they harvested a lot.
Half a basket of shrimps plus half a barrel of small fish as well as more than 30 large, green, finger-sized shrimps were taken back.
They got several crucian carp about the size of a palm, as well as two grass carp more than a foot long, alongwith five long large eels.
What pleased Qiao Xuan above all was that they also managed to catch a palm-sized wild mandarin fish.
They killed the duck for dinner, cut tender ginger into pieces, stir-fried chili and garlic cloves, added rice wine, soy sauce and other seasonings, as well as water. The whole thing was simmered over high heat. In this way, the fresh, spicy and fragrant taste quickly permeated the entire kitchen.
They steamed mandarin fish, and fried prawns in oil. The two grass carps were used to make pickled fish, whilst finger-sized, small fish were wrapped in egg batter and then fried.
A few dishes plus a bowl of braised pork, vegetarian fried yam, and shredded cabbage were served. A sumptuous feast was laid out.
The fish that could not be eaten up were kept in a large water tank in the backyard. Qiao Xuan put some water plants in the water tank. She could use the water plants to send her superpower into the water, so that these fish could stay alive for almost half a year.
Small river shrimps were not easy to raise, so they were roasted and dried. They could fry fresh leeks with it, or peppers, or even eggs. They could even make shrimp cakes with eggs the following day.
When Qiao Xuan was cooking, the mandarin fish was steamed on the stove. The small fish was fried first, then the two stoves were busy with the duck and pickled fish. Then she quickly braised the pork that was made in the pot, and fried the shrimp in oil. After that, she stir-fried two vegetarian dishes. All the dishes were still piping hot when they were brought to the table.
A large table of good dishes with aromatic flavors made the family drool.
The pickled fish and ginger ducks were the most popular dishes. Everyone enjoyed them the most. They never expected that fish and pickles could be so good together whilst the duck meat smelled so fresh and spicy without any strange taste. They could say nothing but praise their fifth sister-in-law!
They turned to look at Shao Yunduan in jealousy. They all lamented that Shao Yunduan was the luckiest one, since he was the only person who could eat the dish made by Fifth Sister-in-law throughout his life.
The steamed mandarin fish was disliked at first. The family always thought it looked too strange and might have no taste.
Qiao Xuan, however, urged everyone to have a taste of it. When they finally tried the first bite, they got attracted to the incomparable fresh dish!
On the other hand, Second Uncle and Ms. Niu as well as the others greeted Eldest Uncle happily the moment he arrived.
Eldest Uncle felt so gratified and guilty, thinking that his second brother's family were so sincere, but Ms. Fang still refused to forgive them.
However, Second Uncle and Ms. Niu exchanged a look between themselves, looking very proud.
See! They knew that an apology would work! They could do whatever they wanted in the future!
They knew that Eldest Brother would get soft-hearted.
Ms. Niu went to fetch Ms. Ma and Third Uncle's family to join them. Ms. Ma was helping with the cooking whilst Third Uncle was chit chatting with Eldest Uncle.