Phi-Fic Chapter 81 Fourth Aunt
Chapter 81 Fourth Aunt
When Xiao Chengyan was brought up tightly bound, Old Madam Xiao held her forehead and didn't want to say anything.
"Mother! I miss you so much!"
Princess Yonglin rushed into Consort Xiande's arms and acted coquettishly as soon as she entered the room.
She hugged the Imperial Concubine's neck affectionately, pointed at Xiao Chengyan on the ground, and pouted.
"Mother, this man just tried to harass me. If it weren't for Brother Zhijie protecting me, I would have definitely been taken advantage of by this guy."
Fearing that the Imperial Concubine would be angry and punish her again, Madam Xiao hurriedly sent someone to summon Madam Xing.
Naturally, he received another beating, and Xiao Chengyan was forced to kneel in the ancestral hall by his own father and confined to his quarters for a month.
Madam Xing, unusually, slapped Xiao Chengyan twice.
"Shut up already! If you keep acting like this, you won't even know how you died!"
After leaving the mansion, Xiao Zhijie went straight to the Taoist temple, where his master, Ye Qingqiu, was meditating.
Upon seeing that the visitor was his apprentice, he slightly lifted his eyelids, then closed them again, but a smile appeared on his lips.
"Good disciple, could it be that you've invited your master to your wedding?"
Qiao Qingshu's marriage arrangement was arranged with the approval of the imperial decree.
Ye Qingqiu frequently entered and exited the palace, and learned of the news that very night.
He had thought to himself several times that the two people seemed to have no connection in terms of their birth charts.
But Qiao Qingshu is also the one who can change Xiao Zhijie's fate.
He was still figuring out what he could do to get his apprentice involved with Qiao Qingshu.
What a coincidence!
The eldest daughter of the Qiao family is actually going to marry Xiao Zhijie.
Xiao Zhijie sighed deeply, slumped into the prayer mat, and frowned.
"Master, please stop making fun of me. This marriage is really suspicious."
"Oh? What's strange about it?"
Xiao Zhijie then slowly poured out his doubts.
He was certain that Qiao Qingshu had deliberately chosen him to be her bride; she had definitely planned it.
But the real reason is definitely not that I like him or have deep feelings for him.
He couldn't figure out the woman's true intentions, and felt uncertain, hence his unease.
Ye Qingqiu stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming with cunning.
"I'll only ask you one question: do you like that eldest daughter of the Qiao family?"
Xiao Zhijie choked slightly, "..."
He first met Qiao Qingshu on the day Bai Shi died, standing behind his master and looking at the note she handed him.
The sign above reads: Mr. Ye helped me put on a play...
He raised his eyes and carefully examined the eldest daughter of the Qiao family. She was dignified and noble, yet she was scheming against her own family. He was curious.
Later, Ye Qingqiu told him about the sordid affairs of the Qiao family's inner quarters, and he gradually developed an appreciation for Qiao Qingshu.
Only when they met again in the temple and bamboo forest did he, without any regard for etiquette, deliberately tease her, wanting to explore her true feelings.
On the day of Bai's funeral, when he saw Qiao Qingshu and Xiao Chengyan looking at each other, he felt a sudden pang of sadness in his heart.
That night, he stayed up all night practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.
Because as soon as I close my eyes, the image of Qiao Qingshu in mourning clothes, with her sharp eyes, appears in my mind.
Seeing his disciple's expression, Ye Qingqiu knew that his disciple was already tempted, and he burst into loud laughter.
"Zhijie, always follow your heart in everything you do. You and she have a wonderful destiny."
Xiao Zhijie's eyes flickered slightly, and his long-standing drowsiness was relieved.
Yes, let's just follow our hearts.
Qiao Qingshu received the imperial decree early in the morning and was busy all morning.
After taking a short nap at noon, I had just gotten up and dressed when I heard Wanqiu lift the curtain and report.
"Young lady, Steward Lai is outside requesting an audience. He says something has happened at the estate."
Qiao Qingshu said slowly and deliberately,
Tell him I'll be there soon.
As soon as they stepped out of the courtyard gate of Zhuqingxuan, they saw Lai Dali waiting at the gate.
Upon seeing Qiao Qingshu, he hurriedly came to greet her.
“Young lady, for some reason, all the crops in our three estates south of the city withered and died overnight.”
"Now, Fourth Aunt is crying in the old lady's room."
Madam Qiao's maiden name was Miao Man. She was the second child in her family and was born out of wedlock.
She has two younger sisters: her third brother Miao Fang and her fourth sister Miao Qing, both born to the same concubine.
The person in charge of these three estates now is Dong Dayong, the son of Fourth Aunt Miao Qing.
The old patriarch of the Miao family was only a minor official of the sixth rank in the capital, and it was difficult for his children to marry into high-ranking families.
Apart from Miao Man marrying into the Qiao family in place of her elder sister Miao Yu, which was considered a good match, none of the other half-sisters married well.
Fourth Aunt Miao Qing married into the Dong family, a merchant family. She fell into poverty in her early years, and her husband died young.
Several years ago, Miao Qing begged Miao Man to hand over the management of the Qiao family's three estates to her son, Dong Dayong.
When Qiao Qingshu arrived at Fushou Hall, she heard soft sobbing coming from inside.
"Sister, this has absolutely nothing to do with Dayong!"
"You must stand up for Dayong! We've been working for the Qiao family for so many years; even if we haven't done anything outstanding, we've certainly put in the effort..."
Qiao Qingshu lifted the curtain and slowly walked in, and Miao Qing immediately stopped crying.
Looking up at the person who had come, he realized he hadn't seen this girl for several years.
Now, her entire demeanor exudes an air of nobility even surpassing that of her deceased mother, Bai Shi; every move she makes reflects the grandeur of a great clan.
Miao Qing suddenly felt jealous and sat there with a sour look on her face, glaring at Qiao Qingshu.
Qiao Qingshu stepped forward with a smile and said,
"What a wonderful day it is today! Fourth Aunt has actually come to visit. It's not even December yet, and she's already coming to drop by?"
As she spoke, she sat down on the couch next to her grandmother, picked up the teacup, and took a sip of hot tea.
Miao Qing squinted. When Bai Shi was in charge of the family, she often scolded her son, always complaining that their harvest was too little, only 30% of that of the neighboring estates.
Therefore, Miao Qing disliked Bai Shi very much and naturally disliked Qiao Qingshu as well. Behind her back, she would always criticize Bai Shi and her daughter for being pretentious and aloof.
Miao Qing raised her slanted eyebrows, put on a pretentious tone, and curled her lip in disdain.
"You still remember I'm your fourth great-aunt? Is there any younger generation more ill-mannered than you? You don't offer me a seat or tea when you see me, you only care about yourself. And you call yourself a lady of a respectable family? I don't know where you learned that from."
Miao Qing now lives on the estate with her son, unaware that Qiao Qingshu has become the adopted daughter of a noble concubine.
After crying and arguing with Old Madam Qiao for so long, Old Madam Qiao didn't have time to tell her about Qiao Qingshu.
She thought Qiao Qingshu was still as docile and obedient as before, and now that her mother was dead, she wanted to bully her even more!
A disdainful smile tugged at the corner of Qiao Qingshu's lips.
“If you don’t want to be my fourth aunt, I don’t care.”
Miao Qing was so angry she almost fell over. How could this little girl be so arrogant after only a year apart?
Qiao Qingshu took another sip of tea, glanced at Old Madam Qiao, and said coldly,
"When my mother passed away, my third maternal uncle and fourth aunt didn't even show their faces, let alone offer incense for her. What does it matter if I, Qiao Qingshu, don't acknowledge elders like you!"
Miao Qing blushed slightly when she heard her bring this up.
The Miao family's illegitimate siblings did not appear at Bai's funeral, and they didn't even send any gifts.
But all this is just an attempt to curry favor with Old Madam Qiao.
Old Madam Qiao spoke so many bad things about the Bai mother and daughter in front of the sisters.
If they rush to pay respects to Bai Shi, they might offend their second sister.
Madam Qiao coughed slightly, changing the subject.
"Don't forget the important reason you came here today."