Phi-Fic Chapter 41 Short-lived Ghost
Chapter 41 Short-lived Ghost
With a bright smile, Qiao Qingshu stood up.
"I should thank my cousin Wan'er for saving me from disaster."
She lifted the curtain and went out, leaving Qiao Qingle and Qiao Qingqiao stunned.
Evening, Zhuqingxuan
As Lin Dong helped Qiao Qingshu make the bed, he said...
“You are so clever, young lady. If you hadn’t asked Xia Zhi to catch a few wasps immediately, how would Liu Wan’er have revealed her true form?”
Late Autumn brought in a bowl of bird's nest soup and continued,
"That's right, we followed them in the garden and overheard their lewd talk. I was so ashamed of myself. I never would have guessed that Miss Biao would be so obsequious to men. She really doesn't care about her reputation at all, just to please Master Xiao."
Xia Zhi swung his fist a few times in the air.
"Neither of them are good people. Second Master Xiao looks all respectable, and everyone thinks he's a decent person, but he's just like those stinky men outside."
Lin Dong frowned and said,
"In terms of family background and appearance, Young Master Xiao is one of the best in the capital. How could such a man be so despicable? Is there no such thing as a perfect man in the world?"
Late Autumn carefully handed over the soup bowl, but her mouth was still busy.
"Lin Dong, can't you see? All crows under heaven are black, and all men are the same. If there really is one who is flawless, he is bound to die young. Even the most perfect couples under the heavens are being taken away!"
Qiao Qingshu, dressed in a white peony brocade undergarment, was combing her hair in front of a bronze mirror, feeling quite annoyed.
Today's commotion has made her realize the Xiao family's attitude.
Judging from the attitudes of Madam Xing and Xiao Chengyan, they both wanted to annul the engagement.
However, the matriarch of the Xiao family, Old Madam Xiao, was still trying her best to facilitate the marriage.
What she couldn't understand was that the Qiao family had such a bad reputation, and they were poor and destitute, so what was Old Madam Xiao insisting on, and why she was so determined to marry her?
Xiao Chengyan has always been very popular, with several families even more powerful and prestigious than the Marquis's family and the Qiao family vying to propose marriage to him.
If the Xiao family were smart, they should have gone with the flow and called off the engagement. It doesn't matter whether they accept Liu Wan'er or not, but they should have quickly found a more powerful in-law!
Is it really that they are inflexible and insist on marrying Qiao Qingshu into the family?
Based on Qiao Qingshu's understanding of the Xiao family matriarch from her previous life, this matriarch was shrewd and capable, even dozens of times better than her own maternal grandmother.
Old Master Xiao has been bedridden for decades, relying on ginseng pills to prolong his life. He can no longer speak and is practically a living dead.
But Madam Xiao had the ability to control the Xiao family's fate and keep her four sons in line.
The four branches of the Xiao family were all outstanding. In front of outsiders, the brothers were respectful and loving, and they also helped each other in the court. This was a well-known story in the capital.
This patriarch of a great family is now approaching marriage with an attitude that borders on humility.
So what exactly do these shrewd and noble people want?
Qiao Qingshu frowned slightly and reviewed the current situation once again.
If this marriage is to be called off, no one else matters; the key person is Old Mrs. Xiao.
Old Mrs. Xiao is the one who can ultimately make the decision.
Although today's performance did not achieve its intended purpose, at least it grasped the right direction.
As Qiao Qingshu was pondering how to make the fire burn even brighter, until it was beyond saving, she heard Wanqiu's words.
"...All crows are black, and all men are the same. If there really is one who is flawless, he's bound to die young..."
Qiao Qingshu's eyes lit up again and again!
Her slightly pursed lips suddenly curled into a smile, and she murmured,
"Yes... a short-lived ghost... a short-lived ghost..."
The more she thought about it, the more reliable it seemed. Qiao Qingshu suddenly stood up from in front of the mirror, excitedly went forward and hugged Wan Qiuxiang, giving her a kiss.
"Sister Wanqiu is so clever, she's absolutely right! It would be best to find someone who dies young!"
The three maids in the room were stunned, staring wide-eyed and mouths agape at their mistress.
Wanqiu reached out and touched Qiao Qingshu's forehead, frowning with worry.
"Oh no, has our young lady lost her mind in anger?"
Qiao Qingle just smiled and drank the bird's nest soup from the bowl. Seeing that she was alright, the maids teased her for a while before preparing to help her to bed.
I had just fallen asleep less than half an incense stick's time when I heard someone shouting something outside the courtyard.
A moment later, a maidservant rushed in to report.
"Young lady, Granny Zou has come to tell you that the old lady took her medicine last night, but somehow fainted again before going to bed. Granny Zou is here to ask you to quickly go and invite Mr. Ouyang to come and take another look."
Qiao Qingshu immediately put on her coat and got up, then had her maid bring Granny Zou in to talk.
“Mr. Ouyang went south a while ago and is no longer in the capital. Do you remember the few Bao Rong Huan Hun Wan pills he left when he came to examine you? He instructed that if Grandmother fell into a coma again, she should take the pills first, and if she still didn’t wake up, he should be called back. Granny Zou, you should go back and find them now and feed them to Grandmother. I’ll be there in a bit.”
Granny Zou slapped her forehead,
"How could I forget about that!"
He rushed back to Fushou Hall.
Qiao Qingshu dressed slowly and without rushing. She even drank a cup of tea before slowly walking towards Fushou Hall.
It was already late at night, late autumn was approaching winter, and he led the way carrying an octagonal palace lantern with ram's horn.
Qiao Qingshu followed behind, feeling lighthearted and even humming a little tune.
Upon arriving at Fushou Hall, Qiao Jizhou was already standing at the door, pacing anxiously back and forth.
Upon seeing her daughter arrive, she immediately rushed forward and said in a flustered manner,
"Shu'er, is that pill really effective? Let's not waste any more time."
Qiao Qingshu glanced inside and then smiled.
“Who is Mr. Ouyang? If his medicine is ineffective, then no other doctor can save him either.”
He gently patted his father's back to comfort him.
"Father, don't worry. Grandmother is such a blessed person, she must be very lucky and have a long life. A little illness won't kill her."
As soon as she finished speaking, Granny Zou rushed out from inside, tears of joy streaming down her face.
"Oh dear, the old lady is awake! The old lady is awake!"
Qiao Qingshu raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Father, do you see? Am I right?"
Qiao Jizhou and Qiao Qingshu immediately went into the house. At that moment, Old Madam Qiao was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with a pale face, drinking water and looking very tired.
His energy and spirit were completely different from during the day; he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.
Qiao Qingshu stepped forward and inquired with concern.
"Grandma, are you feeling better?"
Old Madam Qiao nodded weakly, but felt anxious and very annoyed.
She didn't know what was wrong with her body. She had been taking the medicine prescribed by Mr. Ouyang every day without fail, but her condition was not improving. Instead, she was becoming more and more listless and weak.
When Bai Chanzi died, she was still in good health, staying up all night to plan and scheme.
At that time, she was just pretending to be sick and refusing to handle the funeral arrangements.
How did it come to this, after all this pretense, that it actually got sick?