amaotonovel Chapter 82 The Return of the Bai Family
Chapter 82 The Return of the Bai Family
Miao Qing then remembered her son.
He shouted loudly.
"Your steward should have told you about the farm. All the crops are dead, but this has nothing to do with my son! Da Yong has served your Qiao family all these years, you can't punish him! We won't have a single harvest by the end of this year!"
He spoke with such confidence and self-assurance, his back was incredibly straight.
Qiao Qingshu slowly put down her teacup and smiled faintly.
"So that's what it was about."
She stared intently at her fourth aunt and smiled.
“I’ve seen the accounts. In previous years, the estates managed by your family sent the least amount of grain and vegetables. This year, it’s even worse. They didn’t send a tenth of the grain and vegetables. They came to our door empty-handed.”
Miao Qing naturally understood the hidden meaning in Qiao Qingshu's words, which was a veiled criticism that they had taken advantage of the host family.
But that was with Madam Qiao's tacit approval!
Over the years, she and her son Dong Dayong have embezzled 70% of the harvest from the Qiao family's three estates.
This income allows them to live a more comfortable and affluent life than the average family.
With her older sister backing her up, she felt no guilt whatsoever; she only resented Qiao Qingshu for meddling.
“The past is the past, and you can’t control what happened in the past! Take this year for example! If this estate is destroyed, how will my son and I survive in the future!”
Miao Qing's purpose in coming today was not to worry about what would happen to those three estates in the future, what would happen if the land was destroyed, or what would happen to those farmers.
Her purpose in coming here was to get rid of those three estates and replace them with estates in better locations.
The three villages south of the city are located on the outskirts of Beijing, almost in the countryside, making life very inconvenient.
Moreover, the land in those three estates is scarce and yields are already low, so there has been less and less for them to embezzle in recent years.
Miao Qing wanted to take this opportunity to acquire several fertile estates in good locations near the capital to manage.
Qiao Qingshu frowned slightly and looked at Old Madam Qiao seriously.
“Grandmother, I know you are kind-hearted and have been helping your family over the years. But now that the Qiao family’s accounts are so empty, if we continue to subsidize these poor and ungrateful relatives as before, our Qiao family will perish soon.”
Her heart skipped a beat; these words had struck a chord with Old Madam Qiao.
If it were in the past, it would have been fine if she had been subsidizing her sisters on her own side, since she was the one who lived the most glamorous and respectable life among the three siblings.
She's vain and loves to save face, so naturally she'll pretend to be generous.
But things are very different now. She knows that the Qiao family's accounts are in a really bad state.
The mess of debts gave her a terrible headache just thinking about it.
The granddaughter was absolutely right. The Qiao family is now struggling to survive and has no spare money to support these relatives from her maternal family.
But she was too embarrassed to refuse her own sister, so she pushed the blame onto Qiao Qingshu, letting her play the bad guy.
"Shu'er, now that you're in charge of the household, you're naturally in charge of all these matters, big and small. There's no need to ask me."
Miao Qing was furious when Qiao Qingshu showed her no respect and even called her a poor, ungrateful relative.
Seeing that even her own sister wasn't helping her and was letting this little girl do whatever she wanted, she realized that her older sister wasn't helping her either.
He immediately put his hands on his hips and shouted in a shrill voice.
"Fine, fine! You brat! You really don't know your place! Who are you calling poor and ungrateful!"
"I think your grandmother spoils you too much. Today I'll teach you a lesson on her behalf!"
As he spoke, he stepped forward and tried to pull at Qiao Qingshu's clothes.
Old Madam Qiao was so frightened she almost fell off the couch.
"Miao Qing, you absolutely mustn't!"
Butler Lai, who had been waiting outside, kept a close watch on the movements inside the house.
Hearing that Fourth Aunt had gone to make a move, he rushed in, shouted angrily, and kicked Miao Qing in the knee.
With a stumble, Miao Qing almost rolled off the octagonal table, hitting her head on the corner.
Lai Da's eyes widened as he stood protectively in front of Qiao Qingshu, angrily rebuking her.
"Our eldest daughter is now the adopted daughter of a noble consort! You really don't want to live, daring to step forward and pull at her!"
Ever since Qiao Qingshu began settling the Qiao family's messy accounts, Lai Da has been worried about Qiao Qingshu's safety.
He had already experienced the Qiao family's side of the family before; they were all scoundrels and rogues, not a single one of them was any good.
I made a point of staying outside today, just in case something went wrong.
Miao Qing rubbed her head, somewhat bewildered. Qiao Qingshu was the adopted daughter of the Imperial Concubine...
How could that be...
How could this little girl have such good fortune?
At this moment, Old Madam Qiao was so anxious that she climbed out of bed.
He helped Miao Qing up and whispered something in her ear.
"She is! She really is! The imperial decree only arrived this morning. Don't act impulsively again, or even I won't be able to protect you."
He trembled all over and his legs went weak. If it weren't for Old Madam Qiao supporting him, he would have been in serious trouble.
Fourth Aunt was able to immediately slide to her knees, and her tone instantly lost its previous arrogance.
"Huh?...Then...."
"Shu'er, Fourth Aunt is confused, don't hold it against this old woman, okay?
She reached out and slapped herself in the face, then gave Qiao Qingshu an awkward smile.
Her heart pounded in fear, terrified that Qiao Qingshu would punish her.
Qiao Qingshu was too lazy to see these rotten people and their mess, and coldly and sternly gave orders to Lai Da in front of her.
"Go to the government office to report the incident and find out why the estate was destroyed."
“Take back those three estates first and put them up for sale at a low price.”
Having said that, she turned to leave, but Fourth Aunt called out unwillingly.
"Shu'er, how are we, an orphan and a widow, supposed to make a living?"
The voice was noticeably less arrogant than before, and instead carried a pitiful and ingratiating tone.
Qiao Qingshu stopped, slightly turned her head, and chuckled coldly.
"That's none of my business!"
He lifted a corner of his cloak, stirring up gusts of cold wind, and disappeared into the Fushou Hall.
The cold wind blowing in her face tousled Madam Qiao's hair, and she was momentarily dazed.
Qiao Qingshu is getting more and more adept at handling this household business, cutting and slashing with ease, no longer caring about her own feelings.
She felt slightly uncomfortable, but even if she wanted to find fault with Qiao Qingshu's arrangements, she couldn't seem to find anything wrong with them.
Even if someone wanted to find a reason to teach a lesson, they would have to think twice now.
Qiao Qingshu's identity is no longer the same as before!
By the time we returned to Zhuqingxuan, it was already completely dark.
It rained lightly all afternoon, and the air temperature suddenly dropped a few degrees.
Qiao Qingshu accepted the bowl of hot almond tea that Lin Dong handed her and sat down on the edge of the bed to read.
Then there was a loud "thump" outside the house.
Late Autumn came in, rubbing her hands together and breathing on them to warm them, and said softly.
"The young lady is alright. It was Granny Zou who fainted from the cold while kneeling. We've already carried her away."
Qiao Qingshu turned over and fell into a deep sleep in the warm, cozy bed.
The weather is getting colder and colder.
Qiao Qingshu was still eating breakfast inside when Aunt Gui happily entered the house.
He whispered in Qiao Qingshu's ear,
"Young lady, our mistress is back! She wants to invite you to the bamboo grove to talk."
Qiao Qingshu asked nervously,
How is my mother's mood?
Gui's mother clapped her hands with joy.
"Great! I'm in a great mood since I got back!"
"He ate more than usual last night! We were all overjoyed; the young master must have some good news!"
Qiao Qingshu suddenly felt a bright light before her eyes, and her heart was instantly warmed.
This was the first time she had felt such heartfelt joy since being reborn.
Perhaps this is the value of her rebirth: to make up for those regrets that could never be undone.
She happily changed into a beautiful outfit and took a carriage to the bamboo forest.
Bai was waiting for her at the door early in the morning, her face beaming with joy.
Qiao Qingshu jumped off the carriage and rushed towards her mother.
Bai hugged Qiao Qingshu tightly, tears welling in her eyes.
"Shu'er, your brother isn't dead! He's alive! Alright, alive!"