Chapter 401: Angry
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Xie Family was a wealthy family with very strict rules for their children. They did not lack drinks or clothes, but they barely had any pocket money.
There were special funds for buying clothes, jewelry, rouge and gouache, and the elders would give rewards during the New Year's Day or occasionally at other times, but if they wanted to go out and eat, they might not have too much money in hand.
Especially when it comes to a place like Yanchi Restaurant. Southern dishes were always exquisitely-made and an ordinary banquet would cost 20 liang at least. Upper-class table would cost more than 100 liang.
If liquor and other drinks were added, the price could be much higher.
Xie Ruifang and He Zhiqing had not been here before, so they were quite attracted to take up the offer.
Yuezheng Ting became happy about that.
Although it might cost her some money, if she could befriend the lineal daughter of the Xie Family, it would be worth the while.
Therefore, even if she ran into Wen Qingyuan from the Wen Family, the girl in the rose dress, whom she did not like much, Yuezheng Ting did not turn her down.
All Xie Ruifang needed to remember was who paid for the meal.
However, there were no available elegant rooms left at Yanchi Restaurant, which was beyond her expectation!
What irritated her was that the last elegant room was taken from her just one step ahead of time, and this woman who took the room did not want to accept compensation for giving up the room.
How dare she!
She had been filled with hope before she came here, but now everyone was disappointed. She could imagine what Xie Ruifang would think of her.
She would have a terrible impression about her!
Wen Qingyuan, that bitch also left with Xie Ruifang, and she was surely going to bad mouth her behind her back!
He Zhiqing chuckled and said to Yuezheng Ting in a gentle voice, "I seem to
have seen two women eating with your third cousin the other day. There were two other men with them that day, probably her husband and brother-in-law? It seems that they should be in a good relationship with your family, how could..
How could they fail to recognize you as the Second Miss of the Yuezheng Family?
He Zhiqing smiled and said gently, "Or maybe I saw it wrong. If you check with her about it, don't tell her that it came from me."
She smiled and then turned around, leaving.
Yuezheng Ting's face changed, while she stood there with eyes wide open.
She suddenly thought of something as she said to Jiang with clenched teeth,
"You remember the Third Cousin and Young Master Xie eating at The
Restaurant? There was a family with four people, right? Is it them?"
Jiang was startled and then showed an enlightened look. "You are right, Miss, it was them! I remember it now!"
"Good!" Yuezheng Ting got even more furious, and sneered. "They must have recognized me and were playing with me! I am going to teach them a lesson!" Yuezheng Ting rushed upstairs in fury.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao had just sat down when Yuezheng Ting rushed in as she pushed the door open. She pointed at Qiao Xuan furiously. "My Third
Cousin treats you as friends, but you dare trick me like this! I will tell him so he can teach you a lesson!"
Yuezheng Ting stopped pretending to be an elegant lady when no one was watching.
But she had not thought of Qiao Xuan and Taotao's names so the impact of her accusation was largely reduced..
Chapter 402: Payment
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows. "Sorry, Lady Yuezheng, but I booked the elegant room first, and I don't want to give it away to you. What is the problem?"
She gave Yanchi Restaurant a thumb-up for not sucking up to the rich. No wonder the restaurant was so popular.
Yuezheng Ting sneered. "Good, good, then tell me your name, so I will tell my Third Cousin about it. From today onwards, you will never have the chance to speak with him or get anything beneficial from our family!"
The Yuezheng Family were very famous in the province, and Yuezheng Ting assumed that Qiao Xuan was trying to suck up to the Yuezheng Family. A small portion of money from them would feed this poor family well for the rest of their lives.
Startled, Taotao was so confused, not knowing how to react.
What was wrong with this lady from the Yuezheng Family? How could she be so strange?
Young Master Yuezheng was in a business relationship with her brother and sister-in-law, and Young Master Yuezheng kept telling them that he was so lucky to meet them. Since when did her brother and sister-in-law try to suck up to the Yuezheng Family?
Where did Lady Yuezheng hear about this rumor?
Taotao did not like to be misjudged. She could not help but speak up. "Sorry Lady Yuezheng, but you have misunderstood us! We have never taken anything good from your family, and my brother and sister-in-law's relationship with Young Master Yuezheng is totally fair and straight!"
"How dare you say fair and straight!" Yuezheng Ting sneered. "You want to tell me your names?"
Qiao Xuan pinched Taotao's wrist, and looked at Yuezheng Ting. "I don't think that is necessary. How about asking your Third Cousin yourself, if you want to know our names?"
"You!"
Yuezheng Ting got so annoyed that she said, "Okay, okay, you are very bold. Let's wait and see what you have to pay for your rudeness!"
Yuezheng Ting glared at Qiao Xuan and left in a fury.
Taotao got a little anxious, asking. "Fifth Sister-in-law, is this okay? Lady
Yuezheng is Young Master Yuezheng's cousin… after all."
Qiao Xuan was amused. "Don't worry, think about our own cousins. If they irritate our friends, and get driven away by our friends, will you be mad at our friends?"
"Of course not!"
Shao Taotao burst out and felt a little embarrassed.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Not so worried anymore?"
Shao Taotao nodded and said involuntarily, "Why are cousins always so annoying?"
Qiao Xuan laughed. "That's a good question!"
Soon the waiters came in and the two of them started to order.
Qiao Xuan ordered classic southern dishes such as squirrel mandarin fish, stewed meat balls, braised eels, crystal meat, braised pork in Baihua wine, Pingqiao tofu, and boiled dried shredded rice. She hadn't tasted authentic Jiangnan cuisine since she came here, and wondered if Yanchi Restaurant would be a disappointment or not.
The food would cost over 30 liang, but that was worth the while if the taste was authentic.
Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi arrived after the two girls had waited for a while.
Qiao Xuan smiled brightly at Shao Yunduan. "I heard that the restaurant serves authentic southern dishes, let's just have a try!"
Shao Yunduan smiled gently. "There are many restaurants in the province that are worth trying out. We will visit them one by one.."
Chapter 403: Yuezheng Ting's Tears
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"Okay, sounds good!" Qiao Xuan smiled. Neither she nor Taotao mentioned the conflict with Yuezheng Ting to Shao Yunduan and Qi. That would just make the atmosphere worse.
The Yanchi Restaurant was expensive for a reason. The dishes were very well made, authentic and the four of them were very satisfied.
At the Yuezheng Family's mansion, the atmosphere was very strange.
Yuezheng Ting was crying to her mother, Ms. Mi about what happened during the day.
"…I managed to get the girl of the Xie Family to join me for lunch, but I was so humiliated! Those two girls must have recognized me but still humiliated me on purpose! They are in a good relationship with the Third Cousin and must have heard something from him, thus treating me like this."
"How did they manage to befriend Third Cousin so they could humiliate me like this just to suck up to him! Will he make them rich? I won't let this go!"
"Third Cousin is bullying me. Mom, you have to help me! Those two countryside women have bullied me too!"
Ms. Mi got so angry but she took a deep breath and caressed Yuezheng Ting and said, "It is okay! I will ask him when he comes back what he means. How can he befriend some filthy people to bully his own cousin? How dare he!" Yuezheng Ting cried even more fiercely.
"Mom, I want him to help me get to know the Xie Family, or I will never leave him alone!"
"Okay, okay, don't worry!"
Yuezheng Xiao returned home and was summoned to his Second Aunt's place by the maid.
He raised his eyebrows, feeling surprised. Still he went there.
Seeing Yuezheng Ting there with a pair of red eyes as if she had been bullied, Yuezheng Xiao felt even more confused. She gave him an annoyed look which made him think about the previous instance. 'What are these two women thinking about doing again? Still planning to pester me?'
He could give one lipstick of each color to them as presents, but not for them to use as favors.
Ms. Mi smiled. "Nephew, who have you befriended these days? You are the Young Master of the Yuezheng Family, and we are a famous family who should not befriend those filthy and unimportant people. You need to stay away from those lowly, unruly folks so they wouldn't bully our family. Otherwise, it would turn us into a laughing stock!"
Yuezheng Xiao.
"I don't understand what Second Aunt is talking about, you can put it straightforwardly if you want to."
Yuezheng Ting could not help but retort. "Third Cousin, I met the two women of that family whom you and Young Master Xie ate a meal with. The two women bullied me today! They knew that I was your cousin, but they still humiliated me in public!"
Yuezheng Xiao's face turned serious.
Was Yuezheng Ting talking about Mrs. Shao and Taotao? They were definitely not like that.
"What happened?"
Ms. Mi asked him instead. "Who are those two women? Where are they from? How did you get to know them? Maybe we have conducted business with them?"
Yuezheng Xiao knew that Ms. Mi was trying to cause trouble. He kept his connection a secret and said, "They don't have any business with us."
Just with him.
"We are just ordinary friends. Cousin, how about telling me what is really going on!"
Ms. Mi snorted and pursed her lips..
Chapter 404: For Real
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Yuezheng Ting said, "I, alongwith Fourth Miss and her cousin from the Xie Family went to Yanchi Restaurant for lunch. There was only one elegant room left. I asked the two ladies politely but they not only countered me but also stole the elegant room from us. I was humiliated in front of the two cousins at the Xie Family… How could they do something like that? They are sucking up to you and taking things from us but humiliating me in front of everyone!"
Ms. Mi added. "They humiliated the Xie Family as well and offended them for no reason. Nephew, I suggest you stop hanging out with them lest you get stuck with them and offend other people!"
"Countryside people are so rude!"
Yuezheng Xiao said, "Yanchi Restaurant? As far as I know, Yanchi Restaurant is a restaurant that sticks to rules. They offer rooms to those who arrive first, with no exception. They must have booked the elegant room in front of you, right?"
Yuezheng Ting,
"This is a simple matter. I can ask Yanchi Restaurant about it. I know that the manager and the waiters should know about what happened."
Yuezheng Ting could not lie any more and said angrily, "They were just a step earlier than us and were talking with the manager. They had not even booked the room…"
"Half a step earlier is still earlier than you, otherwise the manager of the Yanchi Restaurant would not have given the room to them. They did not bully you!"
"Yuezheng Xiao, are you a part of our family?" Ms. Mi got furious, "One or two steps earlier is nothing. They embarrassed us! They are your friends, and are making money through us, but they dared to humiliate the missus from the Yuezheng Familyo. Honestly, what made them so bold!"
"We just need to talk." Yuezheng Xiao sounded cold. "Also, you are wrong, Second Aunt. They are not making money through us, and we never force people to do anything."
Ms. Mi got furious. "So it was Ting's fault?"
"Looks like it."
"You… good, good, you must be feeling very proud to have bullied us from the second section of the family for not having a very successful businessman, right?"
Yuezheng Xiao was surprised. "Second Aunt, I don't agree with what you said. We are simply discussing this matter. You are a bully if you try to push other people."
"Also, I think that Second, Fourth and Fifth Cousin are all excellent men, why are they considered unsuccessful? Fifth Cousin reads well and my father used to speak highly of them, so did my Second Uncle."
"Just get out of here!"
Ms. Mi's face changed, as she shouted at him hysterically.
Yuezheng Xiao got up and greeted her politely. "Goodbye, Second Aunt!"
He had just walked out of the room, when Yuezheng Xiao heard Ms. Mil s furious shouting and scolding as well as the sound of china smashing. He snorted and left leisurely.
This Second Aunt of his really loved to make a scene.
She was greedy, stupid, narrow-minded, and suspicious. She was domineering towards her subordinates, flattering her superiors. Now she had nothing else to do except curry favor with Madame Yuezheng.
She could not give birth to a son, but refused to treat the second, fourth, and fifth cousin well. She kept changing the way of tormenting them. His own mother had the vision of protecting the three cousins so that even now they also had a very good relationship with the two cousins.
The second cousin accompanied them in business dealings and they helped each other often..
Chapter 405: Working Harder
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
That made his Second Uncle feel very satisfied as well, so when his Second
Aunt tried to turn them against each other, she inevitably failed.
That was why he quit the family business.
When he quit the family business, Second Uncle felt even more satisfied and the family would get more stable and his mother felt more assured taking care of his father in town.
His Fifth Cousin was very smart. He had been reading a lot since he was young, so the family decided to train him to work for the government.
But for some reason, the Second Aunt was worried that when the Fifth Cousin became an officer, his mother, Concubine Min's position would be raised. So, she got Concubine Min killed first. Though there was no direct evidence, people were well aware of the fact.
Fifth Cousin was not too young at the time and he remembered it. For that, he would probably get Second Aunt killed when he reached a high position in the government. How dare she scold him like this right now? She was so stupid!
Yuezheng Xiao thought for a while and decided to visit Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan at the hotel in the afternoon.
Yuezheng Ting had offended his friends and he needed to express his stance.
Qiao Xuan had not intended to tell Shao Yunduan about this, but now the secret was revealed. She heard him speak a few words and said to Yuezheng Xiao, "Lady Yuezheng was quite rude at the very beginning, so I did not give away the elegant room to her, is that okay?"
Yuezheng Xiao laughed. "Sure! The first one there gets it first, just ignore her!"
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Thanks."
Speaking of this, Yuezheng Xiao decided to have a friendly get-together after the scholars' gathering. He also stressed before leaving that he would offer any help if needed.
When he was gone, Shao Yunduan looked at Qiao Xuan. "You are fine, right? Why didn't you tell me about it?"
He was a bit unhappy to hear that his wife had been bullied and that he knew nothing about it.
Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao exchanged a look and left the room quietly.
Their instinct told them that they should leave the room at the moment.
Feeling her heart warm up, Qiao Xuan blushed a little when being stared at by his scorching look. She just felt a bit sad to see his hands withdrawing, when they were almost about to reach hers.
"I am fine, I just thought that I didn't need to bother you about it! She did not want to get humiliated in front of the public, so she would not have done anything extreme! "
"The Yuezheng Family are a rich family and they have a large network with many contacts around. Lady Yuezheng must be spoiled enough not to be used to this situation. What if she does something terrible in secret to you?"
"Just tell me if something strange happens in the future, okay?"
Shao Yunduan knew that it was because he was not strong enough so many things like this happened.
Otherwise, he would have gone back to Yuezheng Ting to demand an explanation.
He was a man who could read, and passing the imperial examination was the only way to make him stronger.
He needed to work harder.
Qiao Xuan felt her heart turn soft. She looked up and smiled at him with a pair of sparkling eyes. "Okay, okay I got it! I will not keep anything from you ever again, okay?"
Shao Yunduan nodded and his heart started to beat nervously. "As long as I am here, no one will ever bully you!"
"Okay, I know!"
Shao Yunduan smiled. "Good, do remember that in mind!"
The couple looked at each other, feeling their hearts turning warm. Shao Yunduan did not tell her how he felt for her because he was not qualified enough at the moment to do so.
Qiao Xuan was not anxious to hear what she wanted to hear.. He had only her and he only cared about her!
Chapter 406: Sensing Something
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
On the day of the gathering, Yuezheng Xiao got a wagon to drive Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi to the venue. Xie Jingrong would be present there too.
He was going to keep an eye on Shao Yunduan secretly rather than stay by his side.
Qiao Xuan and Taotao decided to take this opportunity to travel around the town.
They wanted to buy a lot of things to plant for the dessert stores, and also needed raw materials for the lipsticks and extract essence.
Qiao Xuan was going to do business outside the county.
Now that they had come here, they were going to stroll around the place, while enjoying the scenery to see what they could possibly run into so that they would not miss anything.
She had a lot of savings. If she could buy a piece of land in the outskirts of the province or somewhere far away from home, she would benefit a lot from that purchase as well.
There would be a great deal for them.
The two girls rented the wagon which they had rented before. According to the coachman, there was a beautiful site several kilometers away from the center, so that was where they headed towards.
They asked the coachman to wait at the site, whilst Qiao Xuan and Taotao took a look around the place.
They seemed as if they were just idling around, yet with Qiao Xuan's superpower, she was trying to pick the place where the plants could grow well and in large clusters.
Taotao was a bit unsure. She glanced around and whispered to Qiao Xuan. "Fifth Sister-in-law, are we safe here? Let's just take a walk in the close-by area only, okay?"
Qiao Xuan chuckled inside her heart.
She was not afraid of any danger here.
She could receive a lot of help from the plants. One bad guy, and she would make those plants help her out quite effectively.
"Don't worry, we are in the outskirts of the province, it is very safe here! There are many villages and abbeys here, no one would dare to do anything to us!"
Taotao trusted her Fifth Sister-in-law deeply, so when she heard what she said, she nodded and smiled with a kind of embarrassment. "Oh, in that case, I am assured."
They were walking when Qiao Xuan suddenly turned to the eastern side.
She had a sense that beyond this stream, through that patch of forest, there was something summoning her, or, rather her space.
The space had not been this eager before. It was craving for something badly. Something extremely good must be present on the other side.
Motivated, Qiao Xuan took Taotao to walk eastwards.
They walked through the woods and saw an abbey.
The tall black brick wall separated the inside from the outer area, only some tall trees protruded from the wall with thick branches.
Looking up, they could family see the black root ridge and raised cornices.
Qiao Xuan was a bit confused.
The good things were inside the abbey that belonged to someone else…
She had no idea who owned the abbey, and she wondered what kind of people were inside the abbey. They could not just go inside abruptly.
They needed to be prepared before going in. She knew how to behave properly.
"Let's leave!"
Qiao Xuan was not regretful. She bore this place in mind and would try to find out the owner of the abbey after they went back to the center.
Hearing Qiao Xuan's sighing, Taotao assumed that it was because they could not continue since the abbey belonged to someone else. She consoled her.
"Let's turn to another path!"
They had just walked a few meters when they ran into a middle-aged maid and a young maid, who were walking towards them companying a plainly-dressed middle-aged madame.
The madam looked tall with a long and thin face. She looked ill and seemed to have a preoccupied mind. She was walking with her head lowered with the help of the middle-aged maid..
Chapter 407: Encounter With First Madame
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The woman maid held a basket with a lid, and the three of them were not talking.
Seeing that, Qiao Xuan and Taotao made way for them to pass through.
Two meters away from them, the woman swayed and then collapsed with her eyes closed.
The middle-aged maid and young maid cried out together as they helped the madame up.
"First Madame, please, First Madame!"
"First Madame, wake up, please, wake up!'
Qiao Xuan and Taotao went up to help them without any hesitation.
But they did not know how to cure sick people.
"Auntie, should you take the lady into the city for a medical checkup? We have a wagon and we can take you there."
The maid looked up and saw Taotao and Qiao Xuan. She forced a smile and said, "It is fine, but could you help us to carry her back to our abbey?"
The maid clearly knew that First Madame was distressed mentally, and that's why she became sick. She was in a bad mood, thus passing out. It was not that she had any disease.
She was disturbed in her heart, and needed to get that problem cured from the root, otherwise she would not be able to recover.
Qiao Xuan and Taotao nodded.
Together with the middle-aged maid, they helped the madame back to the abbey, which happened to be the place Taotao and Qiao Xuan had intended to go to a while ago.
As they went into the abbey, the servants came with a chair and carried their First Madame back to the room.
The middle-aged maid asked the housekeeper to take Qiao Xuan and Taotao to the hall. She apologized to them before heading back to First Madame to see how she was doing.
The medical pills were slowly dissolving inside warm water. Auntie Hua ordered the other maids to get First Madame to lean against the chair, as she fed the medicine into her mouth.
Gradually, First Madame opened her eyes.
The abbey wasn't very big, yet it was quiet and neat. Looking out from the window of the flower hall, they could see the corridor pavilion, rockery and lake stones among the flowers and trees.
The trees were lush and green, and everything was very neat.
The maid served them tea and pastry, and stood quietly by the doorstep.
Taotao was feeling uneasy. She had not expected that they would run into such a beautiful abbey.
She looked at her sister-in-law who looked very serene, so she tried to calm herself down too.
But what she did not know was that Qiao Xuan was not feeling calm at all.
Her space was getting agitated and she knew where the good thing should be, yet she just could not touch it directly. Such a feeling sucked.
Qiao Xuan and Taotao would have left by now but for her curiosity towards that unknown thing.
She did not need to stay to seek favor, or attempt to establish a friendship with this family, since all they did was to help carry the woman home. But that unknown piece of treasure was tormenting her mind so much that she really wanted to see what it was.
Auntie Hua came before Qiao Xuan and Taotao waited for too long.
"Thank you for your help today. Our First Madame would like to meet you to express her gratitude, but she is too sick to come over. She has asked me to thank you."
Auntie Hua bowed to Qiao Xuan and Taotao, as she offered a palm-sized brocade box in orange color.. She said with a smile, "It is already lunchtime, why not stay for lunch here at the abbey?"
Chapter 408: Treasure
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Xuan turned down the brocade box. "It is just a small favor, we can not accept such a big present."
"If it is okay with you, we would like to have lunch here."
Startled, Auntie Hua smiled. "That is totally okay, please stay for lunch, this present…"
"Just put it away, we can't accept it!"
Qiao Xuan just could not accept such a large present just because she did a small favor for them.
Seeing her resolute attitude, Auntie Hua did not insist, but exchanged names between each other so they could be served lunch soon.
Qiao Xuan could not give up the chance of taking a walk around and begged the maid. "Auntie Hua, can we take a walk around this garden, it looks so beautiful!"
It might be a little rude for them to make a proposal like this just because they had done them a small favor.
Slightly surprised, Auntie Hua did not expect that a properly-behaved woman like Qiao Xuan would propose something like this.
Despite her slight displeasure, Auntie Hua nodded with a smile. "Sure, just walk around as you wish, but don't go too far!"
"Thank you!'
Qiao Xuan smiled and thanked her.
Taotao thought that her sister-in-law was really interested in the landscape in the garden, so she was also very glad to have a chance to take a look around this beautiful garden.
The two girls walked into the garden.
Qiao Xuan had a predetermined goal in her mind. She simply followed the direction the space was summoning her to.
Soon, they came to the deep side of the garden.
Then, she was shocked!
She was totally taken aback, facing the patch of woods in front of her!
Taotao could not help but breathe. "It smells so good, what are these trees? They are giving off such a nice scent!"
Qiao Xuan,
Of course, there was a great smell. The forest was not large but there was so much sandalwood, which was emitting the fragrance.
The trees were very well trimmed, despite the size. Some large trees would be as old as 40 years.
Qiao Xuan did not recognize the trees, but she could sense that there was a smell of sandalwood.
But she could also sense that the forest was filled with precious trees.
That was because her space had turned desperate for them.
If she was more knowledgeable, she would be even more shocked, because the trees included sandalwood, yellow rosewood, lobular Venus red sandalwood, Golden Phoebe, camphor tree, purple camphor tree, cold scented tree and more.
The owner of the abbey apparently loved those precious woods, so they had this patch filled with trees many years ago.
These were huge trees!
Qiao Xuan could not help but walk into the trees, when she saw a very tall, sky-piercing tree.
But she could not just take them.
She wanted to get a few twigs but she failed to reach them. She needed to walk up to the tree to get them.
Qiao Xuan struggled for a while, but didn't ask Taotao to climb the tree together. It would be embarrassing if people in the abbey saw it, especially after they were received so warmly. If she did this, it would be too disrespectful and unsuitable.
Qiao Xuan thought and decided to ask Auntie Hua to get two twigs for them, small ones would do too!
As long as these twigs went into space, with the blessing of magical power, the space would be full of vitality. The small branches could take root and grow vigorously..
Chapter 409: Repair
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The trees from all over the country were all gathered here, which was not a very easy thing to achieve. The owner must have spent a lot of money and energy on thise project. They were all precious things, and the owner might not be willing to share anything with her.
But she could give it a try.
"Sister-in-law, look, someone is there!"
Taotao tugged at Qiao Xuan's sleeves, as she pointed at a place not far away.
The forest was not shadowed by any bushes or weeds but the trees were flourishing and they were not able to see everything at one glance… unless she used her superpower.
Following Taotao's direction, Qiao Xuan looked through the trees and saw a gray-haired man sitting on a wheelchair, with his back facing her.
Qiao Xuan felt a bit lucky for not having climbed up the tree, otherwise she would have been seen and caused embarrassment…
She did not dodge that man, and said to Taotao, "Maybe he is the owner. Let's go and speak with him."
The two girls walked up and saw that the middle-aged man looked very skinny and sick. His cheekbones stood out and his hair had turned gray.
"Hello…
Qiao Xuan stopped the moment she started to speak.
The middle-aged man's head was tilting to one side, his eyes were tightly closed and hands drooping. He had apparently passed out.
"Fifth Sister-in-law, he…
"Don't be scared…
Qiao Xuan was surprised too, thinking what kind of luck she had to run into two such people. She stepped forward quickly.
She reached out for the man's pulse.
The middle-aged man was wearing a robe in a dark brown color with golden lines. The wheelchair was made of rosewood which she realized only when they got closer. It could be seen that even if he was not the owner of this place, he was definitely a master with status.
Qiao Xuan could not leave the man here like this.
What if he was dead.. then how should she tell others about it?
She needed to check his pulse first so she could either stay here or fetch someone.
Qiao Xuan was startled again when she felt the pulse.
The man seemed to have been poisoned, the muscles in his lower body were severely blocked. That was why he could not walk, and his chest and internal organs were also damaged to varying degrees. As long as he was alive, he must endure unbearable torture.
Qiao Xuan subconsciously activated her superpower. It flowed through her fingertips and poured into the middle-aged man's body. The small but endless, energetic superpower slowly opened up the territory in the man's body, washing away the blocked tendons and repairing the dilapidated damage wherever it passed by.
Taotao, who was standing next to her, got so nervous that she wanted to burst out in tears as she saw the fainted man and the absent-minded sister-in-law of hers.
What was wrong with this man? Why was her sister-in-law not reacting? What was this terrible situation? What should they do?
"Old Master!" Yue An got so surprised when he saw two strange women standing next to his Old Master. He walked up and pushed the wheelchair backwards. "Who are you, what are you doing here?"
Qiao Xuan withdrew her move and said, "Sorry, Mister. We were walking around when we ran into this place, and this Old Master seems to have passed out, so we…"
Yue An lowered his head and found that his Old Master had fainted. He let out a cry of surprise, ignored Qiao Xuan and Taotao, and walked away in a hurry with the wheelchair..
Chapter 410: For The Time Being
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Yue An had just gone to the bathroom and something happened to the Old Master!
His Old Master had to be alright!
Qiao Xuan,
Anyway, this person did not blame them for anything, which was already a comforting thing.
Qiao Xuan and Taotao were not in a mood to continue with the walk any longer.
Also, Qiao Xuan's purpose had already been achieved.
Back to the hall, some maids laid out the table for them to have lunch. Qiao Xuan asked about Auntie Hua, to which the woman maid said that Auntie Hua was in the middle of doing something so she could not be here.
They were asked to eat lunch well.
Qiao Xuan suspected that the middle-aged man must be the owner of the abbey, and First Madame's husband. First Madame must have been taking care of her husband for a long time so she collapsed out of tiredness. Qiao Xuan could not help but feel sorry for them.
Auntie Hua must be busy dealing with the Old Master, when she was working for the Mistress.
So, Qiao Xuan did not ask anything more, but exchanged a few polite words, sat down and ate with Taotao.
She could not mention asking for the twigs.
She felt a bit sorry but since she knew where those treasures were, she would find some ways to get them. She could ask Yuezheng Xiao for help, right…
The young maid in the abbey did not look down at Qiao Xuan and Taotao just because they were plainly dressed or because they had never been here before.
They were served with six dishes and one soup. The servants served them well.
The reason why those servants were so well-mannered and did not judge people by their looks must be because their master and mistress had taught
them so. It was a family with moralities.
Qiao Xuan could not help but develop a good feeling towards this family. She would not mind treating that Old Master if she had some opportunity in the future, in exchange for a few twigs from the precious trees.
She was going to think of a good method to use the superpower without exposing her abilities or causing suspicion.
After lunch, Qiao Xuan and Taotao waved them goodbye.
They took a walk around and went back to where the wagon was stationed, then they went back to the city together.
It was almost four in the afternoon when the two girls arrived at the hotel.
Shao Yunduan and Qi had not yet returned as the evening touched down.
They might not be able to come back for dinner. So, Qiao Xuan and Taotao ate some simple dinner at the hotel rather than wait for them.
Sure enough, when they returned, it was already dark outside.
Shao Yunduan had drunk some wine, and walked in with the help of Qi and Qu
Shan.
Luckily, he still had a pair of bright eyes. He was not fully drunk.
No one liked to take care of drunk people.
Qu Shan did not leave directly after he helped Shao Yunduan. Instead, he left after helping Shao Yunduan wash up.
Qiao Xuan thanked Qu Shan and gave him a red packet containing one liang, and asked Qi to walk him out.
Then, she asked Qi about the gathering.
Speaking of it, Shao Xiaoqi could not help but tell Qiao Xuan and Taotao the story vividly.
It was a very bustling event!
They made poetry and discussed articles. Everything looked lively. He could not understand it all, but he could still tell that there was competition in the happy place.
Qiao Xuan and Taotao showed concern about Shao Yunduan, to which Shao Xiaoqi said proudly, "Fifth Brother is excellent! Everything spoke highly of his articles. Some people looked down at him initially but when he made the articles, they were all convinced, especially when Young Master Xie praised him as well.. After that, everyone started to look at Fifth Brother in a different way…"
Chapter 411: Flashback
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Taotao was very happy and laughed with pride.
Qiao Xuan felt proud on behalf of her husband too. That was what a celebrity could bring about. Her husband owed Young Master Xie a huge favor.
But Young Master Xie never told lies. If he spoke highly of her husband, then her husband must be worth the praise.
So, should she be hopeful for the autumn examination?
The thought pleased Qiao Xuan completely.
It was the best news ever!
The following day, the four of them ate breakfast together.
The gathering continued on this day. Shao Yunduan did not get too drunk the night before, so he was already quite sober by this time. He even inquired about Qiao Xuan and Taotao about where they went the day before.
Qiao Xuan did not mention the abbey, but only told him briefly about taking a tour outside the town.
Shao Yunduan was about to say something, when Qiao Xuan smiled. "Just very close to town, somewhere with many people around. We didn't or will not go too far."
Shao Yunduan smiled too, and dropped his idea to nag her. "Don't travel too far."
After breakfast, Shao Yunduan and Qi went out, whilst Qiao Xuan and Taotao stayed for a bit longer at the hostel and then stepped out for shopping. There were a few sites with beautiful landscapes that were worth visiting.
At the abbey, Old Master, who was in a coma, woke up finally.
The Old Master had been seriously injured in an accident before. His legs were
crippled, and other body functions were also damaged to some extent. Most of the time he lay down in a daze every day. Going into coma or experiencing occasional pains happened often.
There were some occasions when he would feel better.
Whenever he felt better and the day was nice, he would go out in the wheelchair, asking his servant to help him check the forest consisting of the precious trees that he had planted 30 years ago.
When the Old Master woke up and saw his wife sitting by the bedside crying, he responded with a smile. "You are still not used to this, are you?
Madame forced a smile. "Of course not. You have to get well, don't frighten me!"
She was not afraid of taking care of him, nor was she worried about keeping him company in this tedious abbey. She was just scared that he would pass out and never wake up one day.
The doctor said that his body was already very weak, and his viscera had been severely damaged. These years, he only relied on precious medicinal materials to continue his life. Despite that, it was still getting worse little by little. One day, it would turn so bad that his body wouldn't be able to bear it any longer. At that point, it would be the end of his life.
But his wife did not dare to let him know about that. It was something that continuously pained her heart like a blade hanging over her head, which might drop anytime.
Especially during the past one year, he was getting worse and any small occasion would make her nervous.
But despite the relapse that happened today, Old Master looked good and ate a lot more food during dinner and drank a more bowl of soup.
"Maybe I had been trapped indoors for too long, and today, I am much better and feeling more energetic!"
His wife felt very nervous upon hearing the words!
This should not have be the last moment before death, right?
She forced a smile. 'Good that you are getting better, good…"
First Madame slept in the Old Master's room that night. She barely dared to close her eyes in case something happened..
Chapter 412: Curious
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Luckily, Old Master woke up in time the next day, and he seemed to have turned better than the day before.
The doctor came to check on the Old Master today and was shocked. "Old Master, Madame, did you consult another doctor? Or did he drink any medicine or get acupuncture or… anything else?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
Both Old Master and Madame were confused.
"What do you mean, Doctor Tang? You are the only doctor who is taking care of his health, and he eats and takes medicine according to your instructions. No one else is involved."
"For real?"
"Of course, I am not joking about this!" Madame said seriously.
Doctor Tang said, "Madame, please, I don't mean anything like this. It is just… I found that Old Master has turned much better than before."
Doctor Tang gave a hard pinch on Old Master's left calf, and said, "Sorry,"
The Old Master let out a scream. "It hurts!"
Madame stiffened, and Auntie Hua as well as everyone else all got very shocked.
"What are you saying, Old Master?!" Madame's voice shivered.
"It hurts! Doctor Tang, can't you be gentle, you…"
The Old Master finally realized what was going on. He stiffened too as he mumbled. "Am I… am I dreaming? Pinch me again, now!"
He lost feelings for his legs ages ago, and a pinch, or even a stab of knife would lead to no feelings at all.
But Doctor Tang just pinched him and he felt the pain.
He could not believe that it was real…
Doctor Tang pinched him again.
"Ah, it hurts!"
Old Master inhaled and said, "Doctor Tang, can't you be gentle?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Auntie Hua smiled and said, "This is great news, Madame!"
Every servant started to pass on congratulations to the Old Master.
First Madame could not help but smile. "That is a piece of great news! Doctor Tang, what on earth happened? Thank you so much for your help!"
Doctor Tang shook his hands. "No, Madame, this has nothing to do with me! If
I were this capable, I would have cured the Old Master long ago. Not only have Old Master's legs gotten better, but the previously blocked tendons also show signs of unblocking. Even the wounds in his viscera also get better. This is definitely not my contribution! I am also wondering who is so capable to have done so!"
Doctor Tang looked very expectant.
Old Master and Madame exchanged a look between themselves.
Oh well…
"Old Master, Madame, just think about it thoroughly, did you run into anyone today? Or ate, or drank anything different? Anything?"
Old Master and Madame thought deeply.
There was nothing out of the ordinary…
"My Old Master is receiving treatment in the abbey and no guests come over except for some his son and daughter-in-law who visit him sometimes…" Auntie Hua smiled. "Yeah, it is very quiet here, and the Old Master is receiving treatment here because he doesn't want to be disturbed. No one was here today except Madame Qiao and her sister-in-law, who helped us to get
Madame home."
Doctor Tang's eyes sparkled, as he said, "They did not meet the Old Master?"
It was an off-hand question, but Doctor Tang was very curious to know the truth. He did not want to leave out any possibility..
Chapter 413: Dreaming
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Auntie Hua laughed. "Of course not, they didn't even meet the Old Master!"
Yue An suddenly looked up and looked at Auntie Hua. He thought for a while and said carefully, "The two ladies? They did meet the Old Master yesterday…" Yue An recounted what happened in the forest the day before.
Doctor Tang added. "Old Master was in a coma, and no one knows what they did. Where are they right now? Can I meet them?"
Everyone present. '
They felt that Doctor Tang had turned mental.
Madame smiled. "Doctor Tang, that can't be possible…"
"I don't think that is possible either, so I need to find out what is going on."
"Can it not be because your medicine works…"
"Impossible. I know what medicine I have prescribed!"
"What about doing it like this – we look for the two ladies. In the meanwhile, Old Master, Madame, and Auntie Hua, you can start to recall what you have given or done to Old Master, or eaten anything special. If we find the cause, the Old Master's health could turn better!"
Everyone got very motivated.
"Doctor Tang, you are saying that Old Master is becoming better. Can you check him more carefully and see what is it that made him better?"
Doctor Tang laughed bitterly. "If I was able to do so, I would definitely have found the cause. But I can't. Old Master's health has improved, but I don't know how… I need to find the cause…
Madame nodded. "Okay, okay, I got it!"
Doctor Tang added. "If you find the cause, you have to tell me about it definitely!'
"Of course!"
Doctor Tang sighed and left.
Madame asked Auntie Hua to think it through carefully and asked the servants to fetch her son.
Her son was very good at finding people.
It turned out that her son was Yuezheng Xiao…
Yuezheng Xiao was doing accounting in the study and when he heard that his mother was looking for him. He got frightened and miscalculated things.
He turned anxious suddenly, wondering if something bad had happened to his father. So, he hurried off to look for them.
His mother had never urged him so quickly.
He arrived at the abbey and heard what happened to his father. He became so happy.
No wonder his mother was in a hurry. His mother just could not wait to tell him the good news.
First Madame narrated what Doctor Tang had told them, and said bitterly, "We are clueless about this. We are wondering what happened to your father. Can you help us find a couple of ladies…"
Yuezheng Xiao listened to her carefully.
But as the story went, he felt that something was getting really weird.
Madame Qiao, Miss. Shao? Sister-in-laws? But weren't they…
How did they end up coming to his abbey and cure his father?
Also, since when did Madame Qiao know how to cure people?
Yuezheng Xiao felt as if he were dreaming.
"Are you listening?
First Madame patted him as she saw her son's mind drifting away.
Yuezheng Xiao smiled.. "I am! You need to find those two ladies, right? I will definitely get them here for you!'
Chapter 414: Invitation
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
He could not help but describe what Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao looked like.
Auntie Hua's eyes widened. "Yeah, that is it! Do you know them, Third Young Master?"
First Madame was very surprised too.
Yuezheng Xiao smiled. "If it was them who were here, then you don't have to worry. We are actually good friends. Madame Qiao's husband, Xie Jingrong and I get along very well with each other. Madame Qiao is a very smart woman. She can do business well…
Hearing that the lipsticks, which were so popular and always out of stock, originated from Madame Qiao, First Madame was taken aback. "Is she really that good? What a pity that I did not meet them yesterday!'
Auntie Hua was very surprised, and chuckled. "You can't judge people by their looks. Madame Qiao and her sister-in-law looked very ordinary, but they have such hidden abilities!"
Auntie Hua could not help but feel lucky that she had not looked down upon them the day before, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing.
"You have not seen them, and I am not sure if they are the ones whom you are looking for. I will go and meet them now!"
First Madame nodded, and urged him. "Go right away, don't delay it!'
Yuezheng Xiao left the abbey, went onto the wagon and told the coachman to head towards the hotel where Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were staying.
"…I have not yet confirmed it, but I do feel that they were the saviors…
Sister-in-law is a great woman, and I am good as well. What luck I have…"
Yuezheng Xiao came to the hotel, but Qiao Xuan and Taotao were not there.
The two ladies had gone shopping.
They planned to try different cuisines, so they took a slow walk around and bought some interesting things.
Yuezheng Xiao could do nothing but wait at the hotel. It was not long after lunch that the two ladies returned.
"Sister-in-law, Taotao!"
Yuezheng Xiao's eyes were sparkling.
He was a very calm man, but this was about his father and he could not hold back the excitement.
Yuezheng Xiao's sparkling eyes startled Qiao Xuan and Taotao.
"Young Master Yuezheng! What happened?"
"Sister-in-law, please tell me, did you go to an outskirt abbey called Southern Garden yesterday?"
Qiao Xuan was startled. She felt that something weird was going to occur. There was one faint idea that almost popped in her mind. "Yes, we were there yesterday. How did you get to know?"
"What a coincidence!" Yuezheng Xiao laughed as he struck the table. "That is where my parents live! You helped my mother and then my father yesterday, I don't know how to thank you!'
Qiao Xuan,
Yuezheng Xiao said resolutely, "You cured my father, didn't you? Please, Sister-in-law, help my father and we will be grateful to you for the rest of our lives!"
"Please stop." Qiao Xuan smiled helplessly. "So the man we ran into yesterday was Old Master Yuezheng? Actually, I am not a doctor, but I have some knowledge with massage and acupunture. I was worried about Old Master yesterday so…"
"He is better now, right?"
Yuezheng Xiao laughed bitterly. "My father has been ill for many years. He was seriously injured in an accident when he was walking with a caravan. His legs became numb and his internal organs were severely damaged. All these years, he has just been dragging his body until yesterday. But you helped him and his spirit has improved a lot already.. Doctor Tang diagnosed him today and found that he has become better, and his legs are also feeling some sensation!"
Chapter 415: Tryout
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"Sister-in-law, you can definitely save my father. Please, help us!'
Qiao Xuan was very surprised. "Did it work out well?"
"Yes, yes, it worked very well!" Yuezheng Xiao nodded constantly. "Please, Sister-in-law, can you come with me to Southern Garden, please?
Qiao Xuan fell into contemplation.
Yuezheng Xiao coaxed her. "Southern Garden is closeby. I promise to drive you back to the hotel before the gate closes!"
Yuezheng Xiao would not have urged her so much if it had not been for his father's health. He seemed to be a little bit disrespectful when he was pushing her in this way.
But Qiao Xuan could understand his mood.
If he were to remain calm when it came to his father, then such a man would be deemed as cold-blooded.
"Okay, we will come with you. But… I am not sure if I can be of any help!"
Yuezheng Xiao did not care, and said with a smile, "Of course, Sister-in-law, you can check him first. We won't force you to do anything!'
Qiao Xuan smiled.
That was true.
They went to Southern Garden and met the First Madame.
First Madame sized up Qiao Xuan and could not help but develop a good feeling towards this woman.
She looked graceful, open and made people feel comfortable.
"It was you who helped us yesterday, and I should have met you personally yesterday, I am sorry."
Qiao Xuan smiled. "That is fine, First Madame. You are busy and you didn't have time for polite pleasantries. You treated us well though. Also, First
Madame, you needed to rest well too!"
"Thank you for your understanding." First Madame smiled briefly, and lowered her head. Her nerves remained tensed up all the time, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Yuezheng Xiao cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, please don't be so restrained. You can address my mother as Aunt, and if you don't mind, my mother can call you Niece."
First Madame and Qiao Xuan laughed. She did not refuse and greeted First Madame by addressing her as Aunt.
First Madame asked them for their names and called them by their names. She even gave Taotao and Qiao Xuan a pair of ruby-embodied golden hairpins as greeting presents.
They exchanged a few words and then talked about what happened the day before.
First Madame realized that Doctor Tang had guessed it right. Qiao Xuan had helped her husband!
She could not help but exclaim with excitement. "Xuan, could you please…
please help him again? He has been lying in bed for so many years, and I am afraid…
First Madame started to sob.
Yuezheng Xiao turned to her and consoled her. "Don't be sad, Mom. He is getting better, right? His health will surely improve!"
He and his elder brother had never stopped hiring the best doctors around.
Qiao Xuan consoled First Madame and replied soothingly. "I will give it a try. Let's see if that works."
First Madame was so grateful already that Qiao Xuan had decided to help them.
Qiao Xuan had no idea how to do acupuncture or massage. She could not even recognize any spots.
She came to help without bringing any needles along as well, claiming that they had come in a hurry. But they had needles ready at the abbey, which could be used.
As she put the needles on the calf, these caused no feelings except for pain. After putting on the show for a while, Qiao Xuan said, "Maybe if Uncle is in a coma, he would be totally relaxed, and the treatment would work better…"
Chapter 416: Superpower For Disease
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
First Madame and Yuezheng Xiao exchanged a look with each other.
But there were all kinds of methods for curing diseases, and it was not a strange thing that people could receive acupuncture when in a coma.
Also, it seemed that Qiao Xuan did help him when he was in a coma the day before.
Yue An had taken care of the Old Master for years, and he knew a little bit about medical treatment.
After receiving approval from Old Master, First Madame and Young Master, he gave a needle at a spot of Old Master's neck. Old Master passed out with his eyes closed.
Qiao Xuan,
That was very professional.
When the man passed out, Qiao Xuan got down to doing her bit.
She asked the others to leave them alone in case she was disturbed. But they were allowed to watch how she did it.
Being far away, Qiao Xuan pretended to needle Old Master's wrist but by using her figure and hand movements, she covered it up. In fact, she put two fingers lightly on his wrist, and calmly poured in her superpower into Old Master's body little by little. She commanded that the superpower should wash away Old Master's clogged tendons bit by bit, so that the severely injured internal organs were slowly repaired and got rejuvenated bit by bit.
It required very accurate control of the flow and speed of the superpower, and Old Master's body was almost drained out. So, she had to take it slow, in case he could not stand the sudden instilling power. Otherwise, it would turn the good things into worse.
This was the first time for Qiao Xuan to do this to someone. She understood that it was the right thing to do, but she did not have enough time or experience to use as reference. So all she could do was to follow her own instincts little by little.
It was a very high energy consuming exercise.
She started to have sweat on her forehead, cheeks and on her back. Her face started to turn increasingly pale.
First Madame, Yuezheng Xiao and Taotao saw the changes in her. They were all so nervous.
But they were very convinced by her skills by this point!
Almost one and half hours later, Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief and collapsed on a chair.
The others walked up to her quickly. "Fifth Sister-in-law, how are you doing?"
"Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
"Are you okay, Xuan? Auntie Hua, come quickly with the ginseng soup!"
Qiao Xuan let out a breath, as the superpower went traveling through her body, and soon, she recovered. "I am fine, don't worry!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, look at me, I look fine, right? I was just tired but now I am okay!"
Seeing that Qiao Xuan looked well again and sounded just a little tired, they all let out a sigh of relief.
"Sister-in-law, what about my father?"
They all turned to look at Qiao Xuan in anxiety.
First Madame was already holding Old Master's hands, checking him.
"He should be fine!" Qiao Xuan smiled. "He is not in a very bad situation, or we can say that my method should work on him! As long as he goes through proper post-treatment therapy, he should recover to normalcy in a few months!"
Qiao Xuan needed to settle this at one go because the more she did this, the higher were the chances of her secret of being exposed.
"Really?"
"Is that so?!"
The mother and son stared at her in disbelief. Auntie Hua as well as Yue An were both surprised and happy..
Chapter 417: Secret
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Xuan smiled bashfully. "It should be right, what luck!"
"No, no it is not about luck! You saved our Old Master and we all saw that!" First Madame did not know how to express her gratitude. "Xuan, you are our savior. If you ever need our help, we will spare no efforts to help you!" "Thank you very much, Aunt!"
The mother and the son could not calm themselves down until a long while later.
Soon, the Old Master woke up.
He had a very strange feeling inside.
His disease was gone, and he felt so relaxed and cheerful, as if he had been reborn.
When First Madame and Yuezheng Xiao asked how he felt and received a positive answer, they were extremely glad!
First Madame took hold of Qiao Xuan's hands, not knowing what to say.
Qiao Xuan had saved their whole family! She just could not imagine how the family would be like if her husband passed away!
"Xuan, you should never hesitate to ask me for anything in the future!"
Motivated, First Madame asked earnestly. "I am older than you, so, can you become my goddaughter? In this way, we can be one family!"
The Old Master also believed that it was a great idea. He smiled in agreement.
Both Qiao Xuan and Yuezheng Xiao were startled.
"How…"
"Mom, let's talk about this in the future!" Yuezheng Xiao could see Qiao Xuan's concern, which was also his worry too."lt is getting late, and she needs to head back to the hotel, otherwise Brother Shao would be anxious not to see her there. Dad, Mom, I will accompany them back to the town now!"
"Oh well…
First Madame and her husband were both confused.
Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief, smiled at him and left.
First Madame noticed that it was getting very late too, and she also needed Doctor Tang to check her husband, so she saw them off enthusiastically and stressed that Yuezheng Xiao should accompany them back to the hotel.
Qiao Xuan accepted the offer and said, "Uncle, Aunt, actually, I didn't do much. I still believe that it is luck that cured Uncle. I am not a doctor, so please help me keep this skill of mine a secret, and not tell anyone else that I cured him…"
Qiao Xuan was very pleased about the turn of events on this day. She had not expected that her superpower could cure diseases. Actually, it was not about curing a disease, it was about bringing things back to life and repairing the broken stuff.
It was such a bizarre thing and needed to be kept a secret.
In future, it would be used to save herself and family members, not to make money.
Hearing that, Yuezheng Xiao said seriously, "Dad, Mom, if this is what my sister-in-law wants, we need to respect her!"
First Madame and her husband were both smart people, and hearing Qiao Xuan's request, they understood what she was worried about. They nodded and said, "Xuan, don't worry, we will arrange everything well, and not spread out even a word about it!"
Feeling assured, Qiao Xuan waved them goodbye and left.
In the wagon, Yuezheng Xiao released his fist and smiled at Qiao Xuan with hesitation. "Sister-in-law, I did not want Mom to…"
"I got it!" Qiao Xuan smiled.. "That was what I thought as well! Really, what a wonderful coincidence!"
Chapter 418: Concern
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Yuezheng Xiao laughed. "Great that you understand it! Even if my parents haven't taken you as their goddaughter, our relationship would not be affected. We are a family and you and Brother Shao can ask us for anything in the future!"
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Sure!"
Yuezheng Xiao accompanied them to the hotel, but Shao Yunduan and Qi had not yet returned.
Yuezheng Xiao asked the coachman to speed up as he rushed out of the gate and headed back to Southern Garden.
He was worried about his father and had decided to stay overnight at the abbey.
First Madame and her husband decided to find Doctor Tang to check Old Master up after a few days since Qiao Xuan did not want to reveal her identity.
They needed to think about how to make up the story for his cured condition. The Old Master was well aware that he was getting better and did not need a doctor this soon.
After all, Old Master's recovery was not going to remain a secret for long.
The moment Yuezheng Xiao came, First Madame blamed him. "Why did you stop me from taking Xuan as my goddaughter?"
Yuezheng Xiao smiled bitterly. "Mom, please, hear me out. It is not the right thing to do. Sister-in-law would not have liked it either."
"What?"
"You know whose daughter is Sister-in-law?" Yuezheng Xiao explained quickly. "Her father is County Magistrate of the county! The County Magistrate used to work in the capital and he desperately wants to go back to the capital. He is selfish and narrow-minded, not a good man! Sister-in-law is his concubine's daughter and before she got married, she had not lived a good life in that house…"
Yuezheng Xiao was curious about Qiao Xuan so he had looked into her family. Hence, he had a lot to tell First Madame when it came to this point.
"Think about this, if Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao get to know that you have taken Sister-in-law as your goddaughter, they would definitely come and ask you for favors. At that time, are you going to say yes or no to them?"
"Also, my sister-in-law has already remembered our gratitude. There is no need to take her as the goddaughter because she is aware of our feelings!"
First Madame could not help but feel sorry. She sighed emotionally. "That explains it. You are right about this matter!"
"This is her worry as well!"
Yuezheng Xiao added.
First Madame smiled. "Then, we can drop the idea of taking her as our goddaughter! But we will always take good care of her! Officer Qiao must be stupid as to mistreat such an excellent daughter. He will regret it one day!" Yuezheng Xiao smiled. "He is not the only stupid one!"
Thinking of her own sister-in-law, First Madame smiled. "That is true!"
Hearing Qiao Xuan's story, the First Madame felt even more sorry about Qiao Xuan. She stressed to Yuezheng Xiao that he should take more care of the Shao Family and treat them as part of his family.
Yuezheng Xiao just did not know what to say. He might be the one to be taken care of by them instead…
Yuezheng Xiao asked his father how he felt, to which he replied positively. The whole family ate dinner happily.
Shao Yunduan and Qi returned in the evening. Thankfully, they did not drink much that day. They walked in soberly.
Qiao Xuan decided to tell Shao Yunduan what they did at Southern Garden..
Chapter 419: Junior's Guess
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Xuan asked Qi and Taotao to buy some snacks for the night, and then sat down next to Shao Yunduan, tugging her clothes and telling the whole incident to Shao Yunduan.
At first, Shao Yunduan thought that he had heard a fairy tale, but soon he understood what he had heard. "Darling, so you cured the Old Master of the Yuezheng Family?"
"Hush!" Qiao Xuan put her finger to the lips. "Don't be so loud. It was just a coincidence! Very surprising actually. I only did some acupuncture and massage and shockingly, it worked. It was a total coincidence that the Old Master got better with my clumsy technique!"
Shao Yunduan. '
Shao Yunduan laughed. "You are just so lucky!"
Qiao Xuan lifted her chin, raised her eyebrows and smiled. "I think so too!" The two of them smiled at each other.
After a few moments, Shao Yunduan said again, "Oh yes, don't tell others about what happened today, what if someone comes to you for medical treatment, then you would not be able to say no that easily, right?"
After all, Qiao Xuan was lucky to have cured the Old Master, but she might not be able to cure anyone else, who might not be so easy-going like the Yuezheng Family.
Qiao Xuan felt her heart become warm, and she nodded. "Darling, I thought about this too, and I told Young Master Yuezheng about it. His family would help us keep the secret."
Shao Yunduan smiled and looked at her. "That is good!"
"You must be tired today, right? Sleep early! The gathering ends tomorrow, and
I can take you around for a tour before going home, alright?"
The weather had become a bit colder, but the house was as warm as spring.
Under the soft light, talking about the word 'home' made people feel warmer.
Qiao Xuan suddenly felt happy physically and mentally. She looked at Shao Yunduan with moist eyes, and her pretty face became more and more lovable under the soft light.
Shao Yunduan felt his heart throbbing, and he almost swept her into his arms.
At the Yuezheng Mansion.
Someone from Southern Garden came to fetch Yuezheng Xiao, who had not returned until midnight. Ms. Mi Junior became happy. She guessed that the Old Master was dying and that's why Yuezheng Xiao was asked to come over.
That would be such great news!
It was a pumsnment ror mm not to marry ner Derore!
Ms. Mi Junior spent a whole night thinking about this, and early next day, she asked someone to find out if Yuezheng Xiao had returned the night before.
He did not.
Ms. Mi Junior became even more certain about her guess. She could not help but tell her husband about it.
When her husband was young, he was a romantic and elegant person. He especially liked making poems with literature. Yet after so many years, he still failed to make one that could earn him a name.
He gave it up later, and decided to lead a life of playing around and drinking with friends, having fun all his life.
He was living a very leisurely life.
He had never been interested in family business. He could not even learn a thing about it, and it made his head ache..
Chapter 420: Rumor
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
He was very satisfied by what he had now. His two sons were doing well in business, and his youngest son was good at reading. He was very proud, even though he had no lineal son. Hence, he ignored all family affairs.
He focused only on enjoyment.
Ms. Mi Junior hated him for behaving like this.
She felt so annoyed after being married to him for so long.
The First Old Master was the supporter of the family but her husband was just trash. The First Old Master had a pair of excellent sons, but she had no sons at all.
Hearing her words, the Second Old Master frowned in surprise. "That is not possible. He has always been like this. If something had happened, he would not have concealed it from us."
Ms. Mi Junior sneered. "Why not? He can conceal it from us so they can do something bad in secret!"
Second Old Master. '
The Second Old Master was always very slow in this aspect. He snapped angrily. "Why do you care? Mom is still alive and they can't do anything bad in secret! Moreover, our sons are also involved in the family business, and they would keep an eye on those who try to do something bad behind our backs. What are you worried about?"
Losing interest in hearing Ms. Mi Junior's babbling, the Second Old Master went out, humming happily.
Ms. Mi Junior felt annoyed and there was fury arising inside her chest.
What on earth had she done to end up marrying such a trash!
After some complaints, Junior thought for a while and whispered something to her trusted servant.
She was not going to drop it, even though her husband did not care.
Yuezheng Si and Yuezheng Yan were her husband's sons, not hers.
They might be successful in business, but none of their earnings would end up being in her hands.
Hence, she had to make a plan for herself.
She needed to get a share of the family business.
Soon, rumor went around in the mansion that the First Old Master was doing bad at the abbey and was on his deathbed.
Some even said that the Third Young Master had been asked to go to Southern Garden, and he looked so worried when he went out. He spent a whole night there.
Soon, Madame Yuezheng knew about it.
She called her eldest granddaughter-in-law and Ms. Mi Junior and asked about it.
"What happened to the Eldest Son, do you know anything about the matter?" Ms. Jin turned to Ms. Mi Junior.
She was already aware of what to do with the Second Aunt-in-law, having being in a fight with her for years.
She was going to let her Second Aunt-in-law answer Madame's question.
Ms. Mi Junior said, "I am not sure, but someone from Southern Garden came to fetch Xiao who hurried away. He did not come home the night before, so we have no idea what is going on at Southern Garden."
"Xiao left in such a hurry. He should have told us what happened, otherwise you will be worried, right, Madame?"
Madame Yuezheng frowned and snorted, looking annoyed.
Ms. Jin smiled. "Madame, maybe he did not tell you about it because he did not want you to get worried. But I am sure that he won't conceal anything from you deliberately if something really bad is happening. I will get my people to look around at Southern Garden!"
"Those servants indulge in too much gossip! He was at Southern Garden, and did not return overnight, what does that mean?"