Chapter 321: Gifts
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The two of them returned home and opened the presents given by Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan respectively. Both of them were shocked.
China roots were of excellent quality, very difficult to obtain, though not so difficult for them.
But Ganoderma was really rare!
It was bigger than a man's open hand, thick and well-patterned, black in color and flawless. It emitted an attractive herbal smell.
What they did not know was that Qiao Xuan had put the plant in space for a few days and used her superpower to make it better, so it was far better than the ordinary kinds.
These were indeed precious things. Each of them should be worth more than 2,000 liang, and could not be bought easily.
They both believed that Shao Yunduan and his family did not buy them and must have found them in the mountains!
They should know that this plant was very precious.
But they gave them away as presents. What precious gifts!
"Brother Shao and his family are so generous. It is wonderful!"
Yuezheng Xiao ordered Qu Shan to wrap up the plants and deliver them to his mother in the outskirts area.
His father was still sick and the plants were good for health. They should come in handy.
At the Xie Mansion, Xie Jingrong was so shocked when seeing the presents. He promptly had them delivered to his grandmother.
Madame Xie was so happy that she kept smiling. "You all say that I adore
Jingrong more, but look at how much he loves me! He found me the best Chinese fleeceflower root, and now this! These two are really rarely-seen herbs. Jingrong must have spent a lot of effort to find them. I adore him deeply and no one should crib about it!"
People present there smiled and spoke highly of Xie Jingrong.
Xie Jingrong's cousins got so jealous but stayed mum.
They had tried to find Chinese fleeceflower root but couldn't find it!
They had offered some rare plants to the grandmother, but never found such a great-looking one before.
It was just Xie Jingrong's luck…
Xie Jingrong's pageboy kept Shao Yunduan company at the academic events, whilst Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao as well as Qiao Xuan rented a wagon and traveled around the province every day.
Qiao Xuan had asked Shao Xiaoqi to accompany Shao Yunduan.
But Shao Yunduan turned that idea down.
He insisted that Shao Xiaoqi should keep Qiao Xuan and Taotao company.
He did not think that two girls should travel alone in the town. They were friends with Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong, but the two of them were far away. Shao Xiaoqi was a man and he should be of some help incase of any emergency.
He also gave the coachman a lot of money, telling him to pay more attention to them and he would receive an extra bonus for it in the future. The coachman felt quite happy and agreed.
Qiao Xuan loved traveling. She made a specific plan and went about with Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao for shopping and food tasting.
Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao got so excited and obeyed Qiao Xuan's order dutifully.
They visited many places of interest before it turned hot, and returned to the town at lunchtime to eat at a recommended, old restaurant..
Chapter 322: Shopping
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
They took a nap at the hotel and at four in the afternoon, they went to a few stores and some other leisure places, before joining Shao Yunduan for dinner.
Shao Yunduan felt quite jealous after hearing Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao's talks regarding where they had been and what they ate, bought and saw in the morning.
He threw a quick look at Qiao Xuan. He had not yet spent much qualitative time with her outside…
He needed to find a good time to walk with her.
After a couple of days of shopping, Qiao Xuan bought quite a lot of things, which were not easily seen in the town, like clothes materials, embroidery threads, blushers, silk flowers, small, beautiful jewelry, various seasonings
and dry food ingredients.
Province and town were different. Qiao Xuan was very happy to see sun dried shrimps, abalones, sea cucumbers, hairtails, conches, sea scallops, scallops, and yellow croakers. She bought a lot of each kind.
She would buy the snacks and long-lasting pastry one day before they returned home.
She even visited the pharmacies, trying to see if she could get any fresh ginseng. But unfortunately, she could not find any.
Good ginsengs were rare, but all were processed, not originally growing. Qiao Xuan had to give up finding fresh ones.
She was very interested in plants, fruit trees and expensive flowers and woods, so she spent some time there too.
It was not the best time to plant flowers, so there were not many available except for some pots. Qiao Xuan did not need any of those.
She went to visit some florists and checked their flower gardens, but none was good enough for the space.
Finally, she bought some plum trees, different kinds of grapes and peach trees. She was going to pick them up one day before they went home. The fruits of these could be eaten in the next year.
After a few days in a row, Shao Yunduan had visited the places he needed to and met those whom he had to meet. He had obtained much knowledge and was more confident about the imperial examination next year.
The following day, Xie Jingrong asked them to visit him at the side mansion, and they decided to leave after two days.
After dinner, the day turned dark and Shao Yunduan asked Qiao Xuan. "What about taking a walk around? Just nearby."
There was a river passing through the city nearby. Willows and peach trees were planted along the riverside. The area along the riverside was also a famous local food street. There were countless shops, large and small, lively at night.
Especially in summer, many catering shops liked to put long tables and stools on the wide venue at the entrance. There were countless diners, and the restaurant was spacious and cool. The fragrance was permeating, which was particularly appealing.
In the past few days, they had visited a lot of places during the day. At night, after dinner, everyone had no energy to go out again. Therefore, though they knew about such a place and yearned for it, they didn't visit it.
Now, they wanted to have a last walk around the area.
Qiao Xuan was quite interested in seeing the night town in the ancient city. So she said, "Okay, I heard that it is very lively along the river." Shao Yunduan nodded and looked gentle. "Let's go."
"What about fetching Taotao and Qi?"
"Well…" Shao Yunduan sounded indifferent. "They are already there." He had already looked into it and believed that it was very safe with many people there. He instructed Qi and Taotao not to stay close to the small alleyway or come home too late, thus letting them go alone..
Chapter 323: Hand In Hand
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Both of them were so happy and went out ages ago.
They just could not wait to walk around at night.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "They were nagging about this, and they could not wait, let's go as well!"
"Okay!"
Qi and Taotao were not too young any more and Qiao Xuan was not very worried about their safety.
Most people in the world were trying to live in peace. There were not so many bad guys around.
They walked shoulder to shoulder, and moved forward with the crowd. The lights of the stores were on, as they walked along the street. The lights were sparkling like stars.
Under the light, people were moving about, laughing and chatting with each other.
In the summer night, the wind blew from the river bank, bringing the coolness and the aroma of various food stalls, which made people feel the warmth in this world.
When the two of them came to the long riverside street, the excitement and hustle and bustle seemed to be doubled. There were people tasting delicious food everywhere.
Various shops or stalls were blazing with fire, and the sounds of frying, boiling, and steaming were endless. The aromas of various foods were stimulated and collided with each other, and the fragrance was particularly attractive.
In addition, there were many shops selling various kinds of cakes, candied fruit, roasted seeds and nuts, sugar man, candied haws, and more which made the street lively and bustling.
Qiao Xuan was shocked. She had not expected that the night streets in this era would be so lively.
"What a pity! We should not have come post dinner, or even lunch! We should have starved ourselves for a day before coming to this place."
Shao Yunduan laughed when he heard that. "We can take a walk first, and if we feel like eating, we can eat some, or we can come again another time."
"Yes!" Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded, as they continued strolling around. They passed by a store full of dried fruits. Qiao Xuan bought some sugar-coated plums. They walked and ate as they came to the riverside.
The lights on both sides of the river were reflected on the water surface. The gently flowing waves shook the light and shadow, and everything became gentle and blurred.
The two of them stood under a big willow tree, feeling the cool breeze and looking at the river view, surrounded by lively people coming and going. Suddenly the two of them looked at each other and smiled lightly.
Qiao Xuan pinched on the plum and passed it to Shao Yunduan's lips. Her long eyelashes blinked as she said with a smile, "Want to try, Darling?
Shao Yunduan stiffened.
He had heard her calling him 'darling' numerous times. And by now, he was used to it. But at this time, he felt that his heart was throbbing hard.
Her slender and white fingers brushed his chin unintentionally, and the faint, smooth and soft touch lingered for a long time. He was a little afraid to look down at her hand, let alone her smiling eyes. He lowered his eyes and said, "Yeah".
Then he opened his mouth in a panic and bit the plum.
Also, he bit a part of her small finger too.
Shao Yunduan blushed and stiffened. He could not even start to chew the plum. 'Sorry…' He wanted to apologize to her, but could not open his mouth and say anything.
Qiao Xuan had not realized what happened. But seeing him stiffen, she thought that it was because he did not like the taste of plums.
She smiled. "Is it too sour? I think it is okay, you can spit it if you don't like it.."
Chapter 324: Teasing
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"No… nope…" Shao Yunduan finally understood what he should say. But the sour and sweet taste was on his tongue, stimulating every cell in the mouth. He mumbled. "Not sour, sweet.'
Qiao Xuan suddenly realized why he had reacted in that way. She chuckled inwardly, feeling a bit proud.
Her husband could be teased so easily? So thin-skinned?
Qiao Xuan added. "For real? You want to try one more?"
Shao Yunduan stiffened and looked at the girl in front of him.
In the dim light, she had raised her head to look at him, her moist black eyes smiling a little. She was holding a plum in her slender hand and was holding it next to his lips.
At this moment, he only had her in his eyes, and the lights from far and near and the noise of pedestrians coming and going had become the background.
He opened his mouth slightly, approaching her hand cautiously. He quickly grabbed the sweet and sour plum, and hurriedly retreated, for fear that his lips would touch her finger again abruptly.
Qiao Xuan,
She had intended to take advantage of him and tease him. She wanted to continue asking if he hated her or not. But this man was so honest that he just did not want to offend her.
Qiao Xuan laughed.
"Well…" Shao Yunduan did not dare to look at her again but pretended to cough.
"You want something more? Let's go around?"
"Sure!" Qiao Xuan looked at him and answered with a smile. She could not tease him any more but looked deeply at him.
Just leave him alone. There will be more chances in the future…
Also, he should focus on studies, since the imperial examination was coming soon. She should not pursue him to start a romantic relationship at this time.
It was not going to be an easy examination.
The two continued to stroll forward. Shao Yunduan was very careful to protect Qiao Xuan, so that no one would touch or push her. What Qiao Xuan saw and liked, he bought it and took the initiative to carry it, and strolled down further. Though he didn't buy much, Shao Yundun's hands were full on both sides.
Qiao Xuan supported that and chuckled. "I bought so many things already?"
Shao Yunduan smiled. "Not many, you like them."
Qiao Xuan felt her heart sweeten. She leaned her head and smiled at him. "Really? Can you give me anything I like?"
Shao Yunduan felt his heart throbbing. It felt as if her words carried a deeper meaning. He nodded without looking at her. "Of course."
"What if you regret it!" Qiao Xuan sounded very sad.
Shao Yunduan felt his heart break after hearing that. He added. "No, never!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"
Qiao Xuan's eyes sparkled as she said, "Oh okay, but you should remember that only you can give me what I want, and you can't share it with anyone else, got
Shao Yunduan was startled.
Then he felt his heart beating fast.
Right after, he was taken aback.
What did she mean? Was it what he was thinking about?
Shao Yunduan felt an urge to ask her but stopped himself..
Chapter 325: Not Possible
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
He was going to wait for a bit longer, till he passed the examination.
By that time, he would be a good match for her, and he could ask her then..
Shao Yunduan flushed and believed that she should like him too.
For now, he said nothing except for just two words, "Don't worry!"
Qiao Xuan could sense that he was very resolute at the moment. She felt his heart soften and started to feel a bit guilty.
She should not have teased him like this.
They should have understood by this point that they were not going to divorce as they had agreed at the beginning.
"I am not worried!" Qiao Xuan smiled and tugged at his arms. "Let's go back! Qi and Taotao should be back by now. They will be worried about us!"
Shao Yunduan was very happy to be pulled by her. "Let's go!"
There was no better wife than her. She was nice to him and treated his siblings warmly too.
They ran into Taotao and Qi on the way back to the hotel. Shao Yunduan wondered how he felt when the duo had two more people joining them. He suddenly lost the sweet air which existed a while ago.
The four of them headed back to the hotel together.
As they were going into the room, Shao Yunduan suddenly stopped at the entrance and looked at Qiao Xuan.
Qiao Xuan seemed to have sensed that he was looking at her, and she returned the look.
As their eyes met, Shao Yunduan stiffened slightly and panicked. He was feeling a bit strange.
He was just about to move away when Qiao Xuan smiled. "Good night!"
Shao Yunduan also replied in a relaxed tone. "Good night!"
Then he hurried into his room.
Qiao Xuan chuckled and felt slightly emotional as well. She could not help but smile.
Early the next morning, Yuezheng Xiao came over with a wagon and took them to visit Xie Jingrong's abbey in the outskirts.
Xie Jingrong's abbey was his personal property, which was located at Peach Flower Site, more than ten miles away in the southern outskirts of the city.
The abbey wasn't enormous but looked really beautiful.
There were rockeries, a small lake and more.
They could either go into the rockeries or row a boat in the lake in hot summer.
Xie Jingrong's abbey was located in the valley, and there was a green lake outside the path.
At the back of the abbey was a large bamboo forest that was well-maintained. Passing through the bamboo forest was a maple forest. A white waterfall fell from the mountain, and the sound of rumbling water brought forth bursts of coolness.
Xie Jingrong was already waiting for them when they arrived.
Xie Jingrong was only entertaining them on this day. No other guests were around.
Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao both let out a sigh of relief.
They were very afraid of running into strangers like Lady Yuezheng. That would be awkward.
Rich families varied as well. Brother Yuezheng and Brother Xie were very different from others.
Without any outsiders around, they talked happily.
The garden was small and exquisite, quiet and elegant. Taotao could not move her legs when she saw the koi swimming in the water lily pond, so Xie Jingrong ordered his maid to bring fish food and accompany her to feed the fish.
Shao Xiaoqi was quite looking forward to seeing the horses in the abbey when he heard about it.
Xie Jingrong took them to see the horse.
In the valley outside the manor, there was a small horse farm, enough for beginners to practice.
Shao Xiaoqi was really excited. He touched and patted the horses, smiling happily.
Yuezheng Xiao laughed and sent away the coachman, offering to teach Shao Xiaoqi to ride a horse personally..
Chapter 326: Good Things In Mountains
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Shao Xiaoqi was a fast learner. Soon he could ride alone in the horse farm, steady and calm.
Yuezheng Xiao praised him with a smile. "Qi learns fast!"
Xie Jingrong added. "He seems to have established a friendship with the horse very easily."
Qiao Xuan felt proud and added. "Of course he is. He never fails in hunting!"
"Hunting?" Yuezheng Xiao felt his chin and got very excited. "Qi, you are so talented. What about hunting together? I also want to go have a look at your mountain!"
They all laughed.
Qiao Xuan laughed too, but felt a bit guilty.
There were many things in the mountains…
Shao Yunduan said, "Actually hunting is a matter of luck, but there aren't many people in our village who can hunt. The mountain is full of woods, and there are many prey. If you are interested, Brother Yuezheng, please come and visit us when it gets colder."
Yuezheng Xiao was glad to hear the offer. "It's a deal! We will definitely go over, right, Brother Xie?"
Xie Jingrong nodded and gave a brief smile. "Yes."
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan also went up on the horseback. They were not very good at riding compared to Qi. They were nervous and stiff on the back of the horse and soon Qiao Xuan felt arms and legs languishing. A little while later, she dismounted.
Shao Yunduan rode the horse for two laps and went off too.
Shao Xiaoqi wanted to go beyond the horse farm, and Yuezheng Xiao, who was in a good mood, decided to guide him from the backdoor.
Xie Jingrong turned to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. "Yuezheng is very good at riding, and the horse is mild. Don't worry, he should take care of Qi well." Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan nodded.
They were not worried about Qi. He seemed like an active boy but he knew what he ought to do and what not.
The three of them returned to the abbey first.
Taotao had been feeding the fish and looking out for Qiao Xuan and the others. She came over the moment she saw them. Shao Yunduan and Xie Jingrong were chatting in the pavilion, drinking tea, whilst Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao just walked around randomly.
Qiao Xuan subconsciously started to pay attention to the plants.
The plants were flourishing in the garden, and lavender was blooming vividly. There were some other small flowers as well.
Qiao Xuan was more interested in fruit trees and vegetables, but they did not seem to exist here. So, she stopped thinking about it.
Well, the plants in the garden were all for show, and the fruit trees would be limited to pomegranates, persimmons, peaches and plums.
She could go to seek some later.
They ate lunch at the garden. Xie Jingrong hired the chef from the mansion,
who had been busy getting ready for the lunch. The chef cooked one whole table of dishes for them.
Yuezheng Xiao teased his friend by saying that he managed to eat the dishes only because Shao Yunduan and his family were here. Xie Jingrong had never treated him so well like this before.
They spent the afternoon rowing late, and after dinner, the sun set and they left the abbey.
Yuezheng Xiao took them back to the hotel. "Brother Xie's abbey is so nice, so beautiful too!" "Of course, the province just looks so different!"
"But I love our home more."
"Me too, but I want to buy a horse!"
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were amused by Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao's conversation.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "You behaved very well. Also, I agree with you.. When we make more money, we will build a huge abbey, alright?"
Chapter 327: For Favor
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"For real?"
"Yes!"
Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao's eyes sparkled. They looked quite expectant. Yeah, it was definitely doable. They could build the abbey themselves.
"Of course, as long as we make enough money!"
"We can save our money and build an abbey for ourselves!"
"Me too! Can I raise one horse too then?"
Qiao Xuan laughed. "Everything is going to work out. You can have two, if you like! But save your money and we will have an abbey sooner than later!"
Shao Yunduan added too. "Your Fifth Sister-in-law is right! We will have an abbey, as long as you help your Fifth Sister-in-law in her work!"
He was going to work hard as well so that she could live a peaceful and leisurely life, and not worry about the Qiao Family!
The following morning, Qiao Xuan headed out.
They had made a deal the day before. Yuezheng Xiao sent two wagons for them so Qu Shan would keep them company while on the way back home.
The sprouts from the florist as well as many things filled up one entire wagon.
Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong both gav them presents to take back.
Xie Jingrong gave them two jars of ginseng wine, as well as some delicate pastries that were made by the chef in the mansion. He also gave some hand-written transcripts which were excellent articles from previous examinations.
These articles were easy to procure for the Xie Family but for those outside the family, they were valuable things, which were difficult to collect.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were really grateful. Those were the exact things they required.
Yuezheng Xiao also offered some good food and things to use, including cubilose, donkey-hide gelatin, spices and brocades. He was very generous.
Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong did not see them off personally.
They were friends and did not need to stick to such useless formalities.
Also, Shao Yunduan was going to participate in the imperial examination next year, and when he went to the next level, he could openly become good friends with Xie Jingrong, who would bring along his good friend, Yuezheng Xiao. That would work out smoothly.
If he was known to have befriended the Xie Family earlier, he might risk being gossiped about.
Yuezheng Xiao put the newly-obtained lipsticks in the store for sale.
Due to the limited stock, only 30 pieces were sold each day and each person was given no more than two. If they failed to get even one, the consumers could buy items worth 10 liang at or make a booking for the next day.
10 liang was a huge amount. Even for people from the Xie Family, the pocket money of the ladies would only be 2 liang monthly.
Well. if the ladies had the intention of buying good stuff. they would always have ways to get their mother to buy them.
Yuezheng Xiao was very satisfied. This small store brought in a lot of profit for him every month.
More importantly, he did not need to spend a lot of effort in building up the store. As long as he had lipsticks in stock, he could always buy some other things and sell them easily.
Once home, Yuezheng Xiao was asked by Madame Yuezheng to come over for a talk.
Yuezheng Xiao could almost tell what was going on. He nodded, changed his clothes and went for the talk.
Yuezheng Ting must have reported him again.
Yuezheng Ting wanted 10 lipsticks from him the day before but he had turned her down. And now his grandmother was looking for him… what a coincidence?
He could give her one, but ten? Why… so that she could share them with others to lift up her reputation? Never!
Yuezheng Ting was very irritating. She said that 10 lipsticks just cost a few hundred liang and that was nothing for her Third Brother. Why couldn't he give them to her?
But someone needed to tell her that this money was not falling from the sky!
Chapter 328: Yuezheng Xiao's Relief
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Yuezheng Xiao greeted his grandmother, and spoke with her for a few moments. Soon after, Madame Yuezheng started to ask him about the lipsticks.
She kept blaming him for not caring about his cousin. As expected, she said that it was a matter of just a few lipsticks which only cost a few hundred liang!
Yuezheng Xiao did not bother to listen to her carefully. He let the words go through his ears and disappear.
A few hundred liang was a huge amount in any family. The Yuezheng Family was really rich, but a few hundred liang was still a sizable amount.
He was not going to give them to Yuezheng Ting for free just for her whim. Not even when Madame Yuezheng asked for it.
However, Madame Yuezheng just mentioned this briefly instead of forcing Yuezheng Xiao to do it for Yuezheng Ting.
However, that was not it.
Madame Yuezheng did not continue with it, but suddenly added. "We have manv business affairs in our familv, and vou can help with our familv business as well. You can just leave this store to Ting who can train herself. She can earn some money as well. She is a girl, totally suitable for such a store, what do you think?"
Yuezheng Xiao was not a stingy person. But he was disgusted by what he had heard.
No wonder she did not pester him earlier. This was what she was thinking about.
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Madame Yuezheng further said, "I will decide it for you, just give the store to Ting, like the source and everything.
Don't forget to teach her well."
Yuezheng Xiao turned her down.
Yuezheng Xiao smiled. "Grandmother, what a coincidence! I am trying to train myself as well. I started it with my own money, not with the family money. I am saving this for my wife, not others. If a cousin wants to train herself, why not pick any other store from the family business? Or she can open one herself if she likes.
He was not working for the family. But for the business line from the northwest, his Elder Brother would have dropped it too.
The two brothers worked hard not for the second section of the family to take advantage of. That's not how things worked.
Madame Yuezheng was startled.
She sounded a bit annoyed. "But it is just a small store… if Ting likes it…
"But I like it too!" Yuezheng Xiao smiled but he did not mean to smile. He replied in a frivolous tone. "Grandmother, you know that I will never give away anything I love. Grandmother, spoil me once too, alright?"
Madame Yuezheng.
Yuezheng Xiao smiled, got up and left.
"This child has been taught so badly by his parents!"
She was furious.
The Second Mrs. Yuezheng and Yuezheng Ting walked out of the room behind and Second Mrs. Yuezheng said, "Don't be mad, Mother, Ting has forgotten what Xiao is like. He is right, just drop it."
Madame Yuezheng sneered. "He is like this because his parents have taught him wrong!"
Yuezheng Ting pursed her lips and said in a muffled sound, "I love this store a lot. That is why I asked the Third Brother for it. How could he turn me down for just one thing I asked him for?"
"How can he talk with you like this? Doesn't he feel guilty when he speaks with you like this, Grandmother?"
Chapter 329: Pretense
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Madame Yuezheng became even more annoyed. She sneered. "He doesn't think of me as his grandmother at all!"
Second Mrs. Yuezheng smiled. "It is fine, Mom. Xiao loves you, but he is just fickle because he is a young man. He can be confused sometimes. Ting, talk with your grandmother, and I will check in the kitchen. Mom, you are going to be served delicious food consisting of longan with duck soup. I have to stay by the fireplace and watch it carefully."
Only now did Madame Yuezheng feel happier. She smiled emotionally. "You love me the most!"
Yuezheng Ting blinked her eyes and said with a smile, "That is what we should
Madame Yuezheng laughed.
By the time they finished with lunch, Madame Yuezheng was very happy. After that, the mother and daughter went back to their own yards.
The mother and the daughter felt so uncomfortable after pretending to serve Madame Yuezheng well.
That was why Yuezheng Ting did not like to speak with Madame Yuezheng.
It was so tiring!
She loved to be free and alone.
"Mom, we can't let it go so easily, right? I really want that store!" Yuezheng Ting was really unconvinced.
If she could be in charge of the store, she would use the lipsticks to become friends with the ladies from the Xie Family. Then, she would have more chances to get closer to the Xie Family.
Third Brother was so stingy as to not give that small store to her!
Second Mrs. Yuezheng sneered and said, "What can we do if your Third Brother doesn't agree to it? We can't steal it, right? He is not a very easy person to deal with. "
Second Mrs. Yuezheng had already noticed the potential of the store when Yuezheng Xiao first promoted the lipsticks.
She also got interested in it.
Seeing that he had very little in stock, Second Mrs. Yuezheng even offered to find someone who could produce more for them and expand the business.
That basically meant that she wanted to be involved in the process.
The lipsticks business was different from the others. All ladies would try to suck up to them if such business was in her hands. Also, it was a very special way of making money, safe and generous.
But Yuezheng Xiao turned her down.
Yuezheng Xiao and his brother were not very easy to deal with. Second Mrs.
Yuezheng had no way to force him to accept her proposal.
She had expected that no matter what Yuezheng Ting said to Madame
Yuezheng, the result would be the same. But she just wanted to make Madame Yuezheng hate the first section of the family some more and cause more trouble for Yuezheng Xiao.
Yuezheng Ting remained unconvinced. Biting her lower lip, she said, "How can Third Brother treat us like this? I am his sister but he is treating me worse than he treats that whole poor family?"
Second Mrs. Yuezheng raised her eyebrows. "What poor family?"
Yuezheng Ting pursed her lips and recounted the story when she met Shao Yunduan, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong at the restaurant.
Second Mrs. Yuezheng thought for a while and said, "That poor family might be related to your Third Brother in some way."
Yuezheng Ting was startled.
Second Mrs. Yuezheng said, "Your Third Brother never gets close to anyone so quickly. Moreover, Young Master Xie was with them too!"
Moved, Second Mrs. Yuezheng suddenly thought of how the whole family showed up after Yuezheng Xiao started the store.
She could not find the source of the lipsticks because Yuezheng Xiao was very cautious all this while. Her staff could not trace it either.
Second Mrs. Yuezheng sneered. Well they could look into these poor people, and her men could go about and dig out the truth.
When she found out the source, Yuezheng Xiao would not be able to hold onto this business…
Chapter 330: Province
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Second Mrs. Yuezheng knew that her daughter could not conceal any secret, so she did not reveal this plan to her.
Yuezheng Ting did not think of it as something of importance. She was more worried about her own marital affairs, so she could not help but start to mention Xie Jingrong again.
The two of them mumbled to each other for a few moments before stopping.
At Shaoding Village
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan finally returned home in the evening.
Their trip was quite long, and they finally came back home and settled in.
Ms. Fang kept saying out of relief. "Good that you are back. I was so worried about you! I was scared that you would be bullied, or have no place to go to. I was just too stressed. Good that you are finally back!"
They heard her words and burst into laughter.
Qiao Xuan felt her heart become warm. She smiled. "Mom, we are no longer little children. We can take good care of ourselves. Also, we went to the
Province, not somewhere dangerous. No one would bully us there!"
"Yes, yes!" Shao Xiaoqi said, "Brother Yuezheng and Brother Xie were there too. It was so much fun!"
Ms. Fang glared at him. "You only know how to play!"
Taotao suddenly held back her own words, when she saw her mothers reaction. She stuck out her tongue.
Qiao Xuan and Taotao had sorted the things on their way home, and it was easy for them to arrange them.
The ingredients were all stored in the empty wing room.
The gifts for each person were put in packages and given out directly.
The brocades and other things given by Yuezheng Xiao as well as those given by Xie Jingrong were all put away by Qiao Xuan in her own room.
She gave the snacks to others and shared them with Ms. Fang.
The Xie Family, which was a noble family, had given very exquisite and small pastries. There were various flower-shaped red bean cakes, mung bean cakes, sweet-scented osmanthus cakes, lotus cakes shaped like lotus flowers, transparent and beautiful crystal cakes, as well as jujube mud cakes, hawthorn cakes, chestnut cakes, fried sugar balls, sugar lotus seeds, etc. They looked good and tasted even better.
Everything looked so good and people spoke highly of them. They were even hesitant to swallow them down.
They also bought some stuff for the second and third section of the family.
Those were cheap things but looked good. They should be enough for them.
No one wanted to deliver the stuff to them though. Ms. Fang asked Eldest Uncle to do the needful, who in turn delegated it to Taotao.
Taotao dodged it and the others pretended that they had not seen a thing. Eldest Uncle had no choice but to go there alone.
They all knew about Shao Yunduan and their visit to the province, and felt very complicated in heart.
The first section of the family got so lucky that they had a different life after Qiao Xuan married into the family.
That was the province they went to!
Not many people from the village even went to the town!
The first section of the family in the past could never have done a thing like this.
Eldest Uncle delivered the things, and Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were both quite happy. They were no longer as wild as in the past.
Ms. Niu knew that they could only wait for Ms. Fang to give them stuff.
Ms. Zhang looked at her smiling in-laws and got annoyed.
The first section of the family would rather go to province to splurge their money than loan a few liang to her..
Chapter 331: Affairs
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
When Eldest Uncle came to the third section of the family, Shao Liulang had also returned from college.
Hearing that Shao Yunduan and Oiao Xuan had gone to the Drovince, Shao
Liulang was startled at first and then got quite uncomfortable. He smiled. "Isn't Fifth Brother studying? What was he doing in the province? And he was away for so long…"
He dreamed about going to the province. But he could not go there unless it was for the examination.
What were people like Shao Yunduan doing there?
Slightly startled, Eldest Uncle had no idea what his children were doing in the province.
They just went there and did not say anything. Eldest Uncle did not find it strange, thus did not ask. But when Shao Liulang questioned him about this, he staggered. "I don't know, they can do whatever they want."
Shao Liulang got up and said, "Then… I will go and speak with him."
Shao Yunduan was just a Cultivated Talent who should go to the province next year. But he was there for so long. It must have been not just for shopping, but also to attend some events held by the colleges and poetry society, etc.
He might have bought some books home too!
The more he thought about this, the more Shao Liulang felt jealous.
He got really distressed again by the fact that he had not saved the Second Miss of the Qiao Family at that time!
But for Ms. Qiao, Shao Yunduan would not have gotten so lucky and had the chance to visit the province!
Shao Yunduan was not surprised by Shao Liulang's visit.
Shao Liulang hit right on the topic after a few remarks.
"Fifth Brother, have you heard any news or bought any related books? I should have gone there with you and checked it out ahead of time!"
What he meant ahead of time was before the examination date.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan felt quite speechless. This man was not yet the Cultivated Talent, and the examination will not happen until Mid-Autumn Day. Was he so sure that he would become the Cultivated Talent for sure this time?
Even if he did make it, he would not have much time to read and review. Did he dare to do so within such a short while?
Shao Yunduan did not want to ponder over this question, thus did not say a word.
Shao Liulang could not help but ask sourly. "Fifth Brother, just tell me frankly. You must have visited some people during the days you stayed in the province, right? You visited some important people and heard some news too, right?" Shao Yunduan did not want to discuss this.
Thanks to Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao, he did have a good harvest during this trip and he got to visit many people. He also learned a great deal from those experienced figures.
Xie Jingrong even gave him numerous precious documents.
He could not tell the truth, feeling that Shao Liulang would get jealous.
He also hoped that Shao Liulang could achieve the goal he wanted to.
If he could pass the Cultivated Talent examination, he could definitely pass on some information to him, but not right now. "It was not very easy to meet those people…"
Shao Yunduan replied vaguely.
Shao Liulang felt much more comfortable and showed a smile on his distressed face.
He took it for granted that Shao Yunduan had failed to visit the scholars there, though he intended to
.. Chapter 332: For Whom
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"Fifth Brother, you are right. Those people are arrogant and they are not easy to meet up with. It is totally reasonable that they didn't want to meet you. Don't be upset."
Shao Yunduan smiled. "Yeah…
'Anyway, this is your assumption.'
Shao Liulang asked again. "Fifth Brother, but you must have bought some books home, right? Can I read them?"
Shao Yunduan did not turn him down. He took out the books but did not show him the excellent articles. These were not useful for Shao Liulang.
Shao Liulang leafed through the stuff and looked quite jealous. "Fifth Brother, can I borrow them and read?"
Shao Yunduan said, "They are not useful for you right now. You can have them when you become a Cultivated Talent."
He needed these books and decided to study them wholeheartedly these days. He was not going to let Shao Liulang borrow them away.
He would not mind helping Shao Liulang when he was not affected. But he was not going to sacrifice himself for him.
Shao Liulang was not worth it.
Also, he needed to be guarded against this cousin of his. He was always so jealous of him. Since he got the books, Shao Yunduan would not loan them out to Shao Liulang.
He would only allow him to make a copy.
For some reason, Shao Liulang started to believe that Shao Yunduan had more opportunities to pass the examination. That made him both jealous and anxious, and he even started to panic.
Shao Yunduan was always far more excellent than him, though they started to study together.
Shao Yunduan kept going upwards, whilst he remained still. What would others think of him under such circumstances?
He would turn into a laughing stock!
"Fifth Brother, I am just borrowing them. You are too stingy to lend them to me? Or are you trying to stop me from making it to the next level? I am not affecting you. We will bring honor to our family together!"
Eldest Uncle heard that and added involuntarily. "Yunduan, you can just lend them out to your cousin. If both of you make it, we will be so honored!"
Shao Yunduan did not respond to his father. In his father's opinion, his brothers were all very nice people without any fault.
"That is okay." Shao Yunduan said calmly, "You can come and copy them. I need to use those books, and so, you can't take them away. But you can copy them."
Shao Liulang looked embarrassed. "But I am going to take the examination soon, what time do I have for copying? Fifth Brother, you are giving me a hard time!"
Qiao Xuan could not stand it any more. Who on earth was giving others a hard time here?
"Don't worry, these books are not very practical for you right now. They are useful for him as the Cultivated Talent. You can copy them when you become a Cultivated Talent. I bought them with great difficulty, not just with money. These are very precious for my husband right now, and it is not very suitable to loan them to you right now, ok?"
"You are our cousin, and we allow you to make copies, otherwise we would not even show them to anyone else!"
Ms. Fang looked annoyed. "Liulang, it is your fault. They are not useful for you, what are you borrowing them for? Are you trying to slow down Yunduan?"
Shao Liulang got annoyed.. "How can you say that, Eldest Aunt?!"
Chapter 333: Unexpected Ginseng
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Ms. Fang sneered. "Then you don't have to do so."
Shao Liulang got annoyed and got up. "Okay, okay then!"
Shao Liulang left and Ms. Fang said to Shao Yunduan, "Just ignore him! He must be ill-purposed and knows nothing. I wonder what books he has read?!" Shao Yunduan smiled. "Mom, I am not angry. You shouldn't be angry as well." He glanced at Qiao Xuan and they looked at each other. Qiao Xuan smiled. "I am not angry either."
Shao Yunduan chuckled and nodded.
Eldest Uncle opened his mouth and suddenly, he felt that he was not a part of the conversation.
He said with a muffled sound, "Yunduan, you can help your cousin. If both of you make it, it is an honor to our family."
"When he becomes a Cultivated Talent, I can definitely offer him any books he wants and answer all of his questions."
Well, Shao Yunduan did not think that Shao Liulang was modest enough to turn to him for help.
He would always try to start an argument with him on whichever topic it may be.
Eldest Uncle opened his mouth and did not have any idea what he should say. His son had already finished what should be said, though he did not think anything was wrong.
After a while, he replied in a muffled tone. "Okay, okay then!"
Ms. Fang rolled her eyes but said with a smile to her children, "You are tired too, I will get Ms. Xu and Ms. Yang to make some food. Ms. Yang always sneaks in some food whenever she is cooking!"
The following day, Qiao Xuan went through everything she bought from the province, which included cloth, needle and thread, and some silk flowers, which she shared with Ms. Fang, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni.
Everyone was so glad to receive the presents.
Qiao Xuan was very curious about the two jars of ginseng wine. She opened them and checked them.
She was startled the moment she opened them.
The ginsengs were as thick as one's fingers, and the scent attacked the nose the moment she opened the lid.
More importantly, one of the ginsengs even had a pair of leaves growing out of the surface.
The ginseng was still alive inside!
Overjoyed, Qiao Xuan used chopsticks and took out the ginseng, sending it to her space.
Instantly, she saw how the ginseng went into the enriched earth. Tthe leaves expanded and it looked greener.
The space became more magical and lively…
There were still many things that the space needed. When it reached a certain degree, something different would happen.
Not only would space become stronger, but her superpower would become stronger as well. Then the plants would flourish more and the space would become better and better.
Look at those that she had put inside. They were much stronger than before, and the space became even more magical and lively!
She was going to work harder!
When roses bloomed, Qiao Xuan and the others started to make lipsticks.
They were better at making them now and were faster too.
After this, they went onto pick the mushrooms and wooden ears as well.
Shao Sanlang even went into the town to buy meat and ribs, so they could make food with the fresh mushrooms.
They chopped the meat, stuffed it with some minced green onion, made stuffed mushrooms, fungus and yam slices, boiled peanuts. They also grilled pork ribs with mushrooms, and fried cabbage with mushrooms, mushrooms and scallops..
Chapter 334: Sweet Osmanthus
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The fresh mushrooms were thick and tender, smooth in texture and fragrant, suitable for all kinds of side dishes.
Qiao Xuan harvested some snow fungus as well. She saved the original to take the spore mycelium and cultivate more.
If all went on like this, there would be a huge harvest of snow fungus soon.
Sweet osmanthus had bloomed as well.
Qiao Xuan had more than 2 mu of sweet osmanthus, and she used some of her superpower to make them grow faster. Those flowers grew faster than ordinary ones, and the flowers were not very huge.
Qiao Xuan was thinking that she should put in some more superpower so the amount could double.
When the flowers were more lively, she was going to place one clean carpet below the tree, shake the flowers and extract oil from them to make lip balms.
Also, she was going to save the extra ones for using them in perfumes.
The sweet osmanthus did not bloom in a large quantity in the floral field, but many people in the village had osmanthus trees planted in the open space in front of their gates, some of which were decades old, with thick branches and cloud-like crowns. People could smell the refreshing floral scent from afar.
Qiao Xuan decided to buy some sweet osmanthuses from those households seeing the flowers blooming there.
The price was 3 wen for half a kilo.
The trees in front of the house meant auspiciousness and could provide shelter. Also, the smell would be nice in autumn. The villagers never expected that they could make money out of it.
The villazers were verv happy about receiving the monev. They all went to Qiao Xuan when they got the news.
They were all trying to be the seller.
Qiao Xuan truly wanted to collect as many sweet osmanthus as possible.
The more essential oils were refined, the better. Osmanthus could also be used to make osmanthus candy, osmanthus cake, osmanthus pie, and osmanthus sauce. After drying, it could be used as fillings for various snacks, porridge, and various sugar waters. It could also be added to make tea or wine.
The fresh sweet-scented osmanthus was washed, added to honey and stored in a sealed container. With that, they could get sweet-scented osmanthus honey.
If they had lotus roots, they could even make sweet osmanthus and glutinous rice lotus roots.
Sweet osmanthus was, after all, a piece of treasure.
Qiao Xuan assured everyone, saying that she would buy as long as they wanted to sell.
Then she took Ms. Yang, Qi and Taotao and visited house from house to collect the flowers.
The ground was cleaned, and a clean blanket was spread around the tree. Shao Sanlang climbed up the tree and shook the branches neither lightly nor heavily. Soon, he saw golden osmanthus flowers pouring down like rain, with a fragrant scent.
Then they used broomsticks to gather them and put them into the basket carefully.
They collected flowers in the morning and processed them in the afternoon.
They could collect more than 10 kilos from those households.
10 kilos amounted to 60 wen.
Villagers were very happy to have got this much money.
Widow Sun had two large sweet osmanthus trees in front of her house.
But she did not offer to sell sweet osmanthus, nor did Qiao Xuan visit her.
She was such a bitch!
Her mother-in-law even had fights with her and Qiao Xuan would not turn to Widow Sun for this work.
Widow Sun could not humble herself to ask Qiao Xuan. She was very jealous of her too.
She was waiting for Qiao Xuan to come to her, but Widow Sun could not stand it when Qiao Xuan did not show up.
The sweet osmanthus trees outside her house were blooming in layers. There should be more than 10 kilos altogether..
Chapter 335: Nope
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
If she did not sell them, sweet osmanthus would rot after the season passed. That would be such a waste.
This money could be earned without her making much effort.
It would be such a loss not to make use of the opportunity.
Widow Sun cursed inwardly and could not sit still any more.
Eldest Uncle asked Qiao Xuan. "Ms. Qiao, why did you skip Widow Sun's sweet osmanthus? It is not good that we ignored her home, right? People might think that we are bullying a widow!"
Before Qiao Xuan could say anything, Ms. Fang snorted. "You are just overly kind-hearted! That woman always badmouths us! We don't need her flowers. Also, if she wants to sell her flowers, she can come to us. That is how everyone else did it."
Qiao Xuan added with a smile. "Yeah, Dad! What if she refuses to sell it to us because of the argument she had with mom last time? That would be so embarrassing for us. If she comes to me of her own accord, I would accept them."
Ms. Fang said with a praising tone, "Look how considerate Ms. Qiao is! If she still claims that we are bullying her after refusing to come to us first, I will definitely teach her a lesson!"
"And you too." Ms. Fang snapped at Elder Uncle. "Stop coming up with silly ideas! What if she simply doesn't want to sell the flowers and Ms. Qiao asks for them, it would be totally embarrassing."
Eldest Uncle got stuck with words. He mumbled. "But we are living in the same village… "
Then he continued no more.
He had chatted with the Land Officer earlier today who mentioned it to him. After all, Widow Sun was a woman who lived in the same village and it might not be appropriate to just skip her family.
He found the words reasonable, and thus told Qiao Xuan about it.
He did not know whether Widow Sun wanted to sell her sweet osmanthus flowers, what if that was the case?
Widow Sun waited for a long while but Qiao Xuan did not turn up, so she got really annoyed.
"They are just bullying me! Wait and see!"
After the rain, it got cooler.
The burning sensation of the sun shining on people had also disappeared. Although the sun was still bright and dazzling, the scorching temperature caused by it had obviously subsided.
The sun shone brightly, but it was not scorching.
Mid-autumn Day will arrive soon.
It was time to eat crabs.
For now, all they could do was just to think about it.
Crabs were in the river, but they were river crabs, thin and not meaty, most of which were just bones.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Xiaoqi as well as Taotao had caught some before, but the crabs were not to be steamed. They could only be cleaned, chopped and fried with ginger and scallions.
Only a small taste of crabs could be had.
There were no big crabs for sale in small places in the county town. Some wealthy families were greedy for this bite, and they all asked the housekeepers of mansions to go directly to the province to buy them.
Qiao Xuan believed that when the tea field was set up at the Zhang Village, she was definitely going to dig one pool stretching across two to three mu.
By that time, there should be all kinds of seafood, such as fish, shrimps, crabs, snails, and mussels available. Lotus root and water chestnut should also be cultivated, ready to eat at any time.
It was time for them to pay back a visit to the other side of the family as Mid-autumn Day approached.
All married women, including Qiao Xuan, needed to visit their natal homes on Mid-autumn Day and Chinese New Year's Eve..
Chapter 336: Ready To Leave
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
There was no preferential treatment done in the first section of the family.
Ms. Fang was very generous, especially with plenty of money in her hands. She had abundant presents prepared for Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni.
A duck, a chicken, 30 eggs, 10 goose eggs, and a bottle of honey weighing about
2 catties, all of which were taken from home.
She also bought around four kilos of pork belly, two jars of wine, five kilograms of pastries, and two pieces of thick fine cloth.
Ms. Fang used the shared savings to buy these things. Ms. Fang would not care what more they would want to buy privately with their own money.
Ms. Fang did the same with her own family too.
Qiao Xuan was an exception though. Ms. Fang gave Qiao Xuan 20 liang and asked her and Shao Yunduan to buy according to their own customs.
After all, she did not know what the County Magistrate would require.
Since they treated Qiao Xuan badly and did not like the local stuff, they were not going to send things from home.
20 liang was enough for them to buy whatever they needed.
Qiao Xuan tried to turn down the 20 liang.
But Ms. Fang smiled. "I know you have money, but these are from shared
savings, and what you need to do is to take it."
Qiao Xuan accepted it with a smile and spoke highly of her mother-in-law, making Ms. Fang smile brightly.
Ms. Xu was very happy. She could not help but raise her head, when she thought of how much she could take to her home.
This stuff should be enough, so she decided not to buy anything more except that she could offer 2 liang to her mother privately.
She asked Qiao Xuan for some tomatoes and watermelon seeds.
Tomatoes were very tasty for woked dishes and soup. When made into a sauce, it could be stirred with noodles.
Ms. Xu thought about taking some home for her parents to eat, so they could plant some more next year.
Qiao Xuan agreed generously. She picked some and together with some newly-picked mushrooms and wooden ears, she gave them all to Ms. Xu and her mother-in-law.
But for watermelons that were out of season, they could even bring some home too.
They even had some tea leaves prepared as well.
Qiao Xuan thought of her lipsticks. She told them not to share the information with their natal families.
Lipsticks were very special and had a huge potential. They would run out of stock instantly.
Qiao Xuan did not want this to be exposed so as to cause trouble for herself.
Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu both agreed.
Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were very excited about visiting their own homes, but Yang Xiaoni was not willing to return to her house.
"Mom, I don't want to go back to my home. I don't want to give them anything!"
They would rather feed the food to the dogs!
Shao Sanlang added. "That is true! They bully my wife and still get good things from us? No way!"
Both of them were very angry. Ms. Fang, when reminded of Yang Liang and his wife, felt annoyed too.
The couple did not dare to cause trouble to Ms. Fang after being taught the lesson last time. But for Mid-autumn day which was approaching soon, Ms. Fang almost forgot about how the couple had behaved last time!
Ms. Fang thought for a while and said, "You can do whatever you want! But remember one thing – never cause trouble to the family! We are reasonable people who always prepared presents for the daughter-in-laws' families, you should not cause any rumors for us!"
Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sanlang exchanged a look between themselves, feeling rather unhappy.
"What about visiting your parents' tomb again?"
Chapter 337: Worshiping
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Yang Xiaoni nodded directly. "I think that's what we should do!"
Ms. Fang.
Anyway, they could do whatever they wanted. The couple behaved badly first. Therefore, when Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu headed home happily with presents in their hands, Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sanlang stepped out as well.
But they went to do the worshiping of the deceased.
There was a whole chicken boiled in water, and large pieces of boiled pork belly. There were cakes, wine, incense candles, paper money, and each of them was carrying a hoe to sort out the graves and remove weeds.
The couple did not enter the village but went to the tombs directly.
Some people witnessed the scene and went to inform Ms. Tian and Yang Liang about it.
After all, what Yang Xiaoni did the previous time was shocking and Ms. Tian, as well as Yang Liang had been laughed at till date over it. But Yang Xiaoni managed to marry into the Shao Family, which was quite a lucky thing for her.
Many people were curious whether Yang Xiaoni would bring the gifts to her mother's family for the Mid-autumn Day.
She did, but she went to the tombs instead.
Ms. Tian got so furious when she heard the news.
"What is wrong with that damned girl? Does she think that she can look down upon us just because she has married someone rich? She needs to have her own home as the backup, otherwise she will cry to death without us!"
Yang Liang was very displeased too. He said impatiently, "Just drop it, it is so humiliating! "
Ms. Tian sneered. "Your sister is shameless. You should speak to her."
Ever since Yang Xiaoni was married off, the couple had to do all kinds of housework and they were both really irritated. So they kept arguing with each other.
Yang Liang could not stand Ms. Tian, and he was pissed each time.
He did not dare to hit Ms. Tian because she would scratch him back.
So Yang Liang left angrily with a sunken face.
By the time he realized where he was going, he had reached the entrance of the village.
He was startled and subconsciously headed towards his parents' tombs.
Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sanlang had removed the weeds, added new soil and put on the sacrifices and candles, incense.
The couple were chatting when Yang Xiaoni suddenly smiled brightly.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, the couple turned to Yang Liang and got startled.
Shao Sanlang subconsciously pushed Yang Xiaoni behind his back, and asked.
"What are you doing here?"
Yang Liang opened his mouth and was even more surprised than them.
He was totally shocked.
Was this girl really his sister?
The original yellow, thin face had grown flesh, but it was not fat. The melon-seeded face was very pretty, the skin was white and red, the facial features were so delicate and beautiful, the apricot kernels eyes were watery, and the black oily hair was glowing with a healthy luster. More importantly, she was full of energy and looked radiant. There was no one in the village more beautiful than her.
She was wearing a goose-yellow embroidered skirt. Although it was not satin and brocade, the material was very good at first glance. The colors were bright, and the shoes on her feet were embroidered in sapphire blue. She looked extremely beautiful.
Yang Liang was shocked. He suspected that he had seen the wrong person. Where was that skinny and unhealthy-looking young maiden who left home?
Chapter 338: Not Recognizable
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"Are you… are you Xiaoni?"
Shao Sanlang sneered, and rolled his eyes at Yang Liang.
Of course she was!
Yang Xiaoni looked at her brother, feeling as if it had been years since they last met.
She felt quite empty-hearted right now. She did not hate him, nor did she like him. She just regarded him as a stranger.
She could let go of what they did to her, but she could not forgive him. She was not going to love them at all.
From the day when she was driven out of the family on her wedding day, she decisively cut her relationship with her brother.
"Just clean up and let's leave." Yang Xiaoni said to Shao Sanlang.
Shao Sanlang wanted to do the same and nodded. "Okay, let's go!"
Yang Liang shouted loudly at them, seeing them putting things away. "Xiaoni!"
Yang Xiaoni paused and turned around, looking at him calmly. "Anything else?"
Yang Xiaoni's look and attitude stung Yang Liang and irritated him.
She had turned arrogant! Just like what Ms. Tian said.
"Nothing, just… wondering if you want to visit us at home? I and your sister-in-law miss you..
Yang Liang's voice turned increasingly soft. He was obviously feeling guilty inwardly.
Shao Sanlang snorted and rolled his eyes. "Missing what? Her as your laborer? You are so greedy!"
Yang Liang snapped at him angrily. "Shao Yunguang! What are you talking about? You are our son-in-law!"
"Of course I am!" Shao Sanlang said with a smile, "I am here paying tribute to my in-laws, thanking them for giving birth to such a wonderful daughter."
"You!"
Yang Xiaoni laughed and threw a spoiled look at Shao Sanlang, looking rather sweet.
Shao Sanlang chuckled and said to Yang Xiaoni, "Let's go home, Darling! We are going to eat something good tonight.' "Yeah!" Yang Xiaoni nodded happily.
She did not look at Yang Liang again.
Yang Liang was shivering as he said, tremblingly, "How dare you! How dare you!"
Yang Liang got annoyed and went home.
Ms. Tian looked behind his back and saw no one, so she sneered. "I thought you went to bring them home, didn't you?"
Yang Liang did ask them to visit them, but they did not want to come over. So he snorted and went into the room, falling asleep.
Ms. Tian cursed for a long while before she stopped.
She was cursing inwardly that Yang Xiaoni should never come to her ever, otherwise she was going to punish her badly…
Neither Ms. Fang nor Ms. Xu spent the night at their mother's home.
Ms. Fang visited her home with her husband and children, Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao.
They all returned by the evening.
They were all so happy, especially Ms. Xu. She acted especially kindly to Qiao Xuan. She must have been so happy during her visit.
Ms. Xu was indeed delighted.
She was the eldest sister at home who had to work harder than anyone else but did not get treated well by her parents. After all, they had to work hard to feed themselves under the bad circumstances..
Chapter 339: Back To The Qjao Family
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
She had younger siblings, so she needed to take care of them and had helped with housework as well.
Ms. Xu had a younger brother and a younger sister, but the family was doing okay. Her parents favored the son but not in an extreme way. Ms. Xu was not incapable either.
Ms. Xu's sister married someone better, so she kept showing off whenever they ran into each other at their mother's home. But this time, Ms. Xu was no longer demeaned.
She was so happy to see how jealous her younger sister was of her.
But she was not that stupid as to reveal everything to her family and her sister.
Still, she was very happy inwardly. Her sister would be so jealous of her if she really learned how much money she had saved and how well she was living.
The following day, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went into the town and gave presents to Officer Qiao.
Liu Yan followed along.
Qiao Xuan could have forced her to stay, and find an excuse to counter Qiao Wei. But Qiao Xuan knew her sister well. The more you tried to conceal some secret from her, the more she would pick on you. So, she brought Liu Yan with her and let her ask whatever she wanted to know. In this way, Qiao Wei would drop the intention of asking more.
"Remember what I told you to do?"
Qiao Xuan threw a very calm look at Liu Yan.
Liu Yan was startled and nodded nervously. "I do. Don't worry, Second Miss, I remember everything…
Liu Yan had already lost the intention of causing trouble since she had been through so much and was threatened by Qiao Xuan.
Also, she had become more down-to-earth than before. Second Miss and the whole family treated her relatively well. Although she was stuck with all kinds of housework, they did not hit her.
More importantly, the Second Miss was not less powerful than the Elder Miss. If she became really angry, she could definitely ruin her!
Qiao Xuan added. "Good. You should never reveal the secret when we are at the Qiao Family. You don't have to respect me and my husband there. Act casually, purse your lips and roll your eyes whenever you want it, understand? You can just tell Qiao Wei whatever she wants to hear, and you can even mock us." Shao Yunduan almost burst into laughter.
But Liu Yan could not laugh at all. She nodded constantly. "Yes, yes…"
She was actually feeling quite nervous inside her heart. She had never expected that there would be a day when she was going to lie to Elder Miss.
The couple went to buy presents in the town.
They bought some boxes of pastries, two jars of wine, and two chickens.
That fit the status of the Shao Family and it looked as if the Shao Family had spent a lot of money sucking up to the Qiao Family. Otherwise how could a poor rural family afford to buy so many presents?
Shao Yunduan looked at Qiao Xuan and wanted to hold her hand, but stopped himself after all. "We only stay for a while and will leave soon. Don't be angry no matter what they say."
Qiao Xuan smiled. "I won't, and you should not either!"
Shao Yunduan nodded and they smiled at each other.
They knocked at the gate of the mansion and the guards let them in.
Seeing Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan holding the things in their hands whilst the maid Liu Yan was empty-handed, the guards at the gate could not help but look disdainful.
Second Miss was such a failure.
Even the Elder Miss's cat was more precious than Second Miss, and Liu Yan was Elder Miss's maid, what could Second Miss do about her anyway?
The guards felt jealous.. It seemed that Liu Yan must have been acting like an arrogant miss at the Shao Family!
Chapter 340: Not For Examination
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Officer Qiao was present as well.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan walked in and greeted them politely.
Officer Qiao and his wife were not at all interested in their presents. The maids took them away the moment they accepted them.
Officer Qiao nodded at them and behaved as if he had given them the biggest favor. "Take a seat.'
"Thanks, Father-in-law."
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan sat down. Qiao Xuan had her eyes lowered and uttered no sound.
Officer Qiao frowned and looked disgusted by how Qiao Xuan behaved.
This was the concubine's daughter he hated the most. She was timid, weak and quiet. She was not open-minded like Wei, nor was she lovely like Kou. She was not at all interesting for anyone to hang out with.
She simply wasn't pleasing to look at.
But Officer Qiao had not thought about what made Qiao Xuan become so. Her mother, who was alive in the past, had been bullied by his wife all the time. What could a concubine's daughter like her do to survive?
After a few words, Concubine Du said with a smile, "Second Miss, you are still so shy, even in front of your own family! But as I look at you, I find that you seem prettier than before… is it because of the good living in the countryside?" Qiao Kou chuckled inwardly, and threw an ironic look at Qiao Xuan.
Qiao Xuan subconsciously cringed and said nothing. She reminded herself that next time, she needed to wear makeup that made her look sad and weak, not pretty.
Seeing her slightly-changed look, Qiao Kou believed that she was feeling very embarrassed. Thus she became even happier and proudly raised her eyebrows. Officer Qiao said nothing as he glanced at Qiao Xuan. He turned to Shao
Yunduan. "You are a Cultivated Talent, right?"
Shao Yunduan replied to this fact politely. "Yes, Father-in-law."
Officer Qiao nodded and asked again. "Do you plan to participate in the examination next year?"
For one moment, everyone turned to look at Shao Yunduan.
Apart from Qiao Xuan, no one, including Officer Qiao, intended to let Shao Yunduan take part in the examination or expected him to pass it.
Shao Yunduan forced out the answer. "Yes…
Officer Qiao snorted and said nothing more.
He had lost interest already.
He did not think that this man would pass the examination anyway, just by looking at how unconfident he was.
Madame Qiao and Concubine Du were both quite delighted seeing this.
Madame Qiao smiled. "If you are not that sure, you don't have to take the examination next year. It is such a waste of money for your poor family, right? You are still young, you can spend one more decade preparing and then trying it, isn't that better?"
"You are right!" Concubine Du added. "You need to know that you are not only the son of the Shao Family, but the Old Master's son-in-law, if you don't make it through, you are going to be a humiliation for our family too. I don't think you need to try it now!"
"I heard that you need to be very well prepared to pass the examination. The chance is one out of 100. Honestly, you are too young to pass it!"
Officer Qiao looked serious as he nodded. "They are right. If you are not confident, you don't have to take the examination at all. What a waste of money and also a cause of humiliation, right?"
Qiao Xuan threw a sneaky look at Shao Yunduan, who turned to gaze at her too.
He lowered his head and indicated that she need not get worried..