Chapter 31: The villain of the happy wife has appeared? ...

Chapter 31: The villain of the happy wife has appeared? ...

Jiang Liangxu, who had just finished bathing, was only wearing his undergarments. Zhao Xian was so engrossed in the plot of the book that she didn't pay attention to the force, and her fingernails dug into the flesh of his arm.

Jiang Liangxu was somewhat surprised by her reaction. He gently patted Zhao Xian's back with his other hand to calm her tension and asked, "Why? Can you tell me the reason, Madam?"

Zhao Xian pursed her lips: "If I said I dreamt it, would you believe me?"

This reason is far-fetched, but it's the simplest one you can use without even asking.

If she mentions that she read it in a book, her identity will be easily exposed, and it will be troublesome to explain, causing a lot of problems.

"What was the scene like in your dream, Madam?"

Zhao Xian was prepared that he wouldn't believe her and that she would have to explain herself at length, but instead he asked her directly about the scene in her dream.

For a moment, I couldn't figure out what to do with her.

The key to making things up lies in the 'making up' part.

Zhao Xian thought about it carefully, but the book didn't mention what specifically caused his disappearance.

Furthermore, angst-filled stories are told from the perspective of the female protagonist, with other people or events only briefly mentioned or even omitted.

After careful recollection, Zhao Xian did recall some details. The male protagonist in the book, who was involved in a tragic story, had been away for a period of time. When he returned, he had changed, becoming even more obsessive and tormenting the female protagonist even more.

However, since then, the male protagonists in tragic novels have developed a new problem: they are afraid of raging, turbulent waters.

Could the events in Fuyang City be related to water?

“In my dream, a huge flood struck Fuyang City…” Zhao Xian looked into Jiang Liangxu’s eyes as she spoke, and would correct herself whenever she noticed something was amiss.

Seeing no doubt in his eyes, Zhao Xian gained confidence and continued, "Many people died and many people went missing. There was crying everywhere. In my dream, you were also swept into the water. A muddy splash hit me, and then I couldn't see you anymore. Don't go, don't go."

Zhao Xian's eyes welled up with tears as she spoke.

Throughout history, natural disasters have always been the most devastating.

In ancient times, the fastest animals were horses. How could they cope with natural disasters, such as the terrifying floods?

Jiang Liangxu leaned his head against Zhao Xian's head. "Isn't it said that dreams are the opposite of reality? Madam gave me a prophecy, so everything will be alright."

As Zhao Xian listened, she sensed something was amiss, sat up straight, and looked at Jiang Liangxu: "Are you still going?"

Jiang Liangxu gently patted Zhao Xian's back to comfort her, saying, "I will return before the Empress Dowager's birthday."

Zhao Xian slapped Jiang Liangxu's hand away, stood up, and looked down at him: "Are you absolutely determined to go? Even if it means you'll die, you still want to go?"

Jiang Liangxu's voice remained gentle: "The people of these three cities cannot be ignored. Given Madam's prophecy, I will be extra careful."

Zhao Xian opened her mouth, which made it seem like she was disregarding the bigger picture, but she couldn't find the words to refute it. She raised her hand and pointed to the door: "Get out of here."

Jiang Liangxu stood up and reached out to pull the person: "Madam..."

Zhao Xian avoided the question, saying, "Since I can't get along with Lord Jiang, there's no need to say anything more."

"Does Madam intend for me to go out in such disheveled attire?"

With a single point from him, Zhao Xian's gaze fell upon a scene of springtime beauty.

This guy is cheating.

Zhao Xian works with female celebrities, and among the men she encounters in her daily work, none have a personality like Jiang Liangxu.

Only in ancient times could they be married under the title of husband and wife. If this happened in modern times, she would definitely call the police to arrest him.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Then you can sleep on the soft couch."

Hearing the noise, Zhao Xian got out of bed and saw Jiang Liangxu getting dressed: "Oh, Lord Jiang, why are you changing clothes so late? Where are you going?"

Jiang Liangxu did not hide anything and said directly, "I need to go to the palace."

Zhao Xian suddenly felt a sense of helplessness spreading from the bottom of her heart. She didn't say anything more and was about to turn around when Jiang Liangxu grabbed her.

He clutched his belt and said with a hint of grievance, "I accidentally bumped into the pillar just now and can't get any strength out of me. I'll have to trouble you for help, madam."

Zhao Xian looked at the belt in his hand, then at his face. What a coincidence!

"It will be too late to get to the palace soon."

Zhao Xian took a deep breath, picked up the belt, and tightened it as she fastened it, pulling it into the smallest hole.

Jiang Liangxu suddenly contracted his abdomen: "Madam, it's too tight."

"It's not too tight, it's just right. My husband's waist is so slender." Zhao Xian even measured it with her hand and was satisfied.

Knowing he had offended her, Jiang Liangxu smiled apologetically, "My lady, please go to bed early. Your husband will go to the palace first."

He immediately unbuckled his waistband as soon as he stepped out the door.

Zhao Xian didn't sleep well all night, as if she had really seen a terrible flood in her dream.

She couldn't tell if the nightmare was caused by constantly replaying the plot in her mind last night, or if such a thing had actually happened.

Because of the nightmare, her right eyelid kept twitching when she woke up in the morning.

"What's wrong, Madam?" Peony, accompanied by a second-class maid, entered the room to help Zhao Xian get up. She noticed that Zhao Xian kept rubbing her eyes and asked.

Zhao Xian shook her head: "I don't know why, but my right eyelid has been twitching since I woke up this morning. I don't know if something bad will happen today."

Today is Cui Tingyue's family reunion banquet, a plot point not found in the book. She forcibly intervened, so we mustn't let anything go wrong.

Speaking of which, Xiu Jie'er's full moon celebration last time was not part of the plot and went very smoothly.

Could it be that because Xiu Jie'er and Cui Tingyue have different roles in the book, the impact of changing the plot will be different?

Is this eyelid twitching a warning or a precursor?

Seeing Zhao Xian looking around, Shaoyao asked, "Is Madam looking for Master?"

Zhao Xian withdrew her gaze and said, "Don't talk nonsense, I didn't."

Peony smiled and said, "Master went to the main kitchen, saying he was going to make fish cakes for Madam."

He went to the palace last night and went to the kitchen this morning? Is he busy or not?

After washing up, changing clothes, and getting ready, I was all ready to go.

Just as Zhao Xian came out of the inner room, Jiang Liangxu happened to come in carrying a food box. He smiled and said to her, "Madam, come quickly. Today we have your favorite fish cakes."

Zhao Xian was tormented by the twitching of her eyelids, and she couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to. "Look at me."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Liangxu stared at her face and asked, "What's wrong?"

“My eyelids have been twitching since I woke up this morning, something must have happened. What I told you yesterday was not a lie.”

Jiang Liangxu picked up a fish cake with his chopsticks and handed it to Zhao Xian, saying, "Madam, please try it. I made it myself."

Knowing he had deliberately silenced her, Zhao Xian glared at him and angrily took a bite out of her mouth. "Is this also a memory?"

Jiang Liangxu paused, his hand holding the chopsticks still. "Does Madam remember that?"

Zhao Xian chewed on the fish cake, looking at him with a half-smile, and said, "I won't tell you."

Because of the unpleasant conversation yesterday, Zhao Xian didn't really want to talk to him right now.

Although his making fish cakes might seem like an attempt to please her, who knows if it was also a test?

Yingchun walked around the screen and entered the room, reporting: "Master, Madam, the gatekeeper from the front yard came to say that there are relatives who claim to be Uncle and Aunt visiting, but they can't produce an invitation, and the gatekeeper can't identify them either, so he came to ask for instructions."

Zhao Xian hadn't even finished her fish cake when she heard that guests had arrived. She asked in confusion, "What time is it now?"

Yingchun replied, "Reporting to Madam, it is Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

Chen Shi is seven o'clock in the morning. In summer, when it gets light early, it already seems quite late.

But no one usually sends guests over this early, before the host has even finished preparing.

Uncle, no invitation, and the doorman couldn't identify him—these words together feel so strange.

"Take them to the main hall." Jiang Liangxu lowered his head and ate his fish cake, not in a hurry to get up and greet the guests.

Seeing this, Zhao Xian didn't ask any further questions. If he could call himself Uncle, he must be a relative of Jiang Liangxu's mother.

Since she hadn't seen the person, she couldn't identify them based on the original owner's memories, so it was best to speak as little as possible.

After finishing his breakfast, Jiang Liangxu put down his chopsticks and rinsed his mouth. "Madam is preparing for today's family reunion banquet, so I've gone to see them off."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian keenly sensed something was amiss. Could this be a relative of the same type as Zhou, Li Lianniang's stepmother?

“I will go with you.”

I'm quite curious.

I still need to meet with Jiang Liangxu's relatives. If they are the worst kind, I need to be prepared in advance, otherwise I might suffer if I run into them alone later without any preparation.

Seeing her so enthusiastic, Jiang Liangxu hesitated, then said, "Madam, perhaps you shouldn't go. You might feel unwell later."

Hearing him say that, Zhao Xian was even more determined to go. "Let's hurry up, or we'll keep Uncle and the others waiting."

Upon arriving outside the main hall, I could hear voices coming from inside even before entering.

The man's voice, tinged with age and anger, said, "Without a mother-in-law to discipline them, they have no manners. When relatives come, they don't even come out to greet them. What kind of behavior is this?"

"Say less, or someone will hear you." The woman's voice was deliberately lowered.

"So what if he heard? I'm his uncle, his own uncle. Can't I say anything to them? Tell me, there are so many well-bred young ladies in Jin'an, why does he insist on staying with one..."

"Father—" a man's voice rang out, stopping the other person from speaking further. The man who called out "Father" looked towards the door: "My cousin and his wife are here."

Zhao Xian raised an eyebrow. Her intuition was spot on; she hadn't even seen the face yet, but she was already certain it was a terrible relative.

Suddenly her hand was grasped, and Zhao Xian looked at Jiang Liangxu with some confusion, since they were outside.

Jiang Liangxu didn't let go, and pulled her inside.

Apart from the servants, there were six people in the main hall: two men and four women. One was an old man in his fifties named Qian Juncai, one was a man in his thirties with a beard named Qian Shao, one was an old woman named Qian Wanshi, and three were young girls whose names were unknown.

With just one glance, Zhao Xian identified the person who had just spoken based on his appearance.

At the same time, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly, thinking how miserable the original owner of this body was, always encountering oddballs.

The eldest man and woman, reminded by their son Qian Shao, both looked towards the doorway.

Qian Juncai spoke first, "Nephew."

Qian Wanshi said with a smile, "My nephew and his wife have arrived."

Jiang Liangxu looked at the two calmly: "Fifth Uncle and Fifth Aunt, what brings you to the Jiang family's door?"

Out of courtesy, Zhao Xian greeted, "Fifth Uncle, Fifth Aunt, Fourth Cousin, it's been a long time."

As soon as she spoke, she noticed that everyone except the servants and the three young girls looked over, including Jiang Liangxu.

The large hand holding hers suddenly tightened, pulling Zhao Xian to sit down at the head of the table.

The Qian family members sat down as if they were old friends, without waiting for the host to speak.

Qian Juncai turned his gaze back to Jiang Liangxu, looked him up and down, and said, "Liangxu, you are also someone who has been active in the officialdom. It's not that your uncle is saying this, but you should grow a beard. A beard makes you look more mature. Several of your cousins ​​have grown beards. Look at your fourth cousin, isn't he much more composed?"

After Jiang Liangxu sat down, he looked up at the fourth cousin Qian Juncai had mentioned and nodded: "Yes, a young man's words are unreliable. By the way, is your fourth cousin participating in the autumn imperial examinations again this year?"

Zhao Xian secretly gave a thumbs up; the sarcasm was palpable.

Qian Wanshi smiled awkwardly, "Liangxu, your fourth cousin will definitely pass the imperial examination this time. When the time comes, you should give him a lot of help in the court."

"Fifth Aunt is wrong. I am not reliable, but Uncle is. He has been an official for longer than me, understands the officialdom better, and has more connections."

A maid brought over tea.

Jiang Liangxu and Zhao Xian picked up their teacups almost simultaneously. A normal person would know that this meant they were being turned away, but unfortunately, they were not dealing with normal customers.

Madam Qian's face was full of wrinkles as she changed the subject: "We're all family, no need for such distinctions. To be honest, we came here today because we heard you wanted to adopt a goddaughter. Liangxu, if I may say something, you're still young. If you want a daughter, you can have one yourself. A daughter born later in life isn't very close to you."

Zhao Xian slightly raised her eyes. Did the Jiang family taking in an adopted daughter bother them? Why did they come all this way to cause trouble?

Jiang Liangxu put down his teacup: "The invitations have been sent out. The guests who will be attending the ceremony will arrive soon. If you and your aunt are coming to attend the ceremony, please stay for a meal. If not, it's still early. If you set off now, you may be able to get home before dark."

Qian Juncai placed his hands on the armrests of the chair and said arrogantly, "What do you mean by that? I'm your uncle, are you trying to kick me out?"

Jiang Liangxu's expression was indifferent, the gentle smile that usually graced his face was nowhere to be seen, only indifference and aloofness remained, "Uncle, you came uninvited, didn't you?"

Qian Wanshi acted as a peacemaker, saying, "Oh dear, your uncle is just straightforward; that's just his nature. Liangxu, don't be angry."

“We just didn’t expect you to like your daughter so much that you even adopted one from outside. But to be honest, an adopted child isn’t really family, and they won’t be on your side. It’s best to adopt from within the family, because there’s blood ties, and people are closer. When others see that it’s family, they feel more at ease about marriage arrangements.”

Zhao Xian's gaze fell on the three young women of different ages behind Qian Wanshi, who had remained silent.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Then what kind of child does Auntie think should be adopted?" Zhao Xian had a guess and asked.

Qian Wanshi smiled mysteriously at Zhao Xian: "Naturally, we need to know each other well, preferably with blood ties, so that we can be of one mind with you."

"A daughter is just an asset in a marriage alliance, yet you all go around posting invitations and holding these family reunion banquets." Qian Juncai's eyes were full of disdain. He had just finished speaking when Qian Wanshi pulled him back. Qian Wanshi smiled apologetically and said, "Although your uncle's words are not pleasant, he is right."

Jiang Liangxu clenched his fist on the table.

Zhao Xian grabbed his hand, winked at Jiang Liangxu to signal him to be quiet, and said to Qian Wanshi with a similar expression, "But the invitations have already been sent out, and the guests should be arriving soon."

“That’s easy. Adopting one is the same as adopting two, so why not adopt more? It will help the Jiang family with future marriage alliances.”

As she spoke, Madam Qian pushed three beautiful young girls behind her forward and introduced them one by one: "This is your eldest cousin's daughter, Huiya, who just turned sixteen this year. This is your third cousin's daughter, Lingling, who is not yet fifteen. And this is also your third cousin's daughter, Shuang'er. Look at their looks and talents, they are all top-notch."

At that moment, Zhao Xian felt like a madam, trying her best to introduce the girls' advantages and painstakingly promoting them.

Zhao Xian chuckled softly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes: "My husband and I adopted a goddaughter because her father and brothers were kind to Wei'er. These three cousins ​​that Aunt mentioned are indeed good, but there's no reason for it."

Madam Qian even came up with an excuse for them, saying, "Of course you have one. You don't have a daughter and you miss her. When it comes to adoption, it's best to adopt someone you know well so that you won't have any ulterior motives like outsiders. It's perfect to have a family reunion banquet today, so you can all go together. It's so convenient."

Jiang Liangxu kept looking at Zhao Xian and noticed that she had a smile on her face the whole time, but that smile made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"No need to say anything more to them, let's see them out."

With a bang, Qian Juncai slammed his hand on the table and pointed at Jiang Liangxu, saying, "Jiang Liangxu, what do you mean? I am your uncle, your mother's own brother. Is this how you treat your own family? The higher you rise in your official position, the worse you become as a person. If it weren't for our family ties, I would have gone to the Censorate to report you long ago."

Jiang Liangxu glanced at him: "Uncle, go early, don't wait up."

"you."

"Calm down, calm down, Zhao. Look, they really are uncle and nephew, even their tempers are exactly the same. That's why I say it's best to be related by blood, whether in appearance or temperament."

Zhao Xian thought that Qian Wanshi was truly a talent, especially in the area of ​​blatantly lying, where no one could rival her.

"My aunt didn't see the invitations the Jiang family sent out, did she? They had my goddaughter's name on them."

Qian Wanshi smiled awkwardly; they hadn't received an invitation from the Jiang family, so naturally they didn't know.

Just when Zhao Xian thought they were about to give up, Qian Wanshi changed the subject and said, "Actually, it's fine if you don't adopt the three of them. After all, we're family. It doesn't matter whether you adopt them or not. Your uncle and I just wanted to help you."

"Help us?" That's a strange question.

“We’ve inquired about the girl you adopted. She’s not young and is still in mourning. By the time she finishes her mourning period, she’ll be quite old. By the time she’s old enough to be married, she’ll be an old maid. Your uncle and I thought we shouldn’t let people laugh at you. Why don’t we arrange for her to marry your cousin? We don’t mind waiting a couple more years.”

As soon as Qian Wanshi finished speaking, a figure flashed past the door and quickly ran to the backyard.

They encountered Li Lianniang and Cui Tingyue, who were traveling together, and the maid hurriedly said, "Young Madam, Miss Cui, something terrible has happened."

Because Li Lianniang and Cui Tingyue handled the household affairs, they had contact with all the servants in the mansion, and naturally some of them were eager to show their loyalty.

Li Lianniang looked at the maid in front of her, "What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

The maid took a deep breath and said, "I was serving tea in the main hall when I heard... I heard the master's aunt say that she wanted to marry Miss Cui to the master's cousin."

Li Lianniang and Cui Tingyue exchanged a glance, mentally sorting out the interpersonal relationships.

“Master’s cousin, isn’t that the same age as my godfather!” That’s about the same age as her father.

Cui Tingyue's body went limp and she almost fell, but fortunately Li Lianniang and the maid reacted quickly and caught her.

“Of course not, Mother would never agree,” Li Lianniang quickly reassured her.

"Let's go take a look."

Cui Tingyue nodded hastily.

main hall

Zhao Xian's blood pressure suddenly spiked. "The cousin my aunt mentioned, is he my husband's cousin?"

Zhao Xian thought she had misheard and checked again.

Madam Qian nodded, pointed to the man who had called out "Father" and "Cousin" at the beginning, and said, "Your fourth cousin, look at him. I'm not exaggerating, he's handsome, refined, and dignified. His appearance is in no way inferior to that young master. Speaking of which, your cousin's wife has been gone for a few years now. Your cousin needs someone who cares for him. That girl is a bit older, but we don't mind."

"Your fourth cousin is going to take the imperial examination this autumn. He's sure to pass with flying colors. That would be a double celebration."

"Hahaha..." Zhao Xian suddenly burst into laughter, a loud laugh that brought tears to her eyes.

Faced with her sudden laughter, Qian Juncai and Qian Wanshi were somewhat puzzled. "What are you laughing at?"

Zhao Xian raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes. "I'm sorry, I was laughing at the diversity of species."

As she laughed, Zhao Xian's eyes suddenly turned cold. "You guys are really ugly toads who can play tricks on people. You call your son handsome, refined, and dignified? He's four years older than Jiang Liangxu, old enough to be a young girl's father, and you want to marry him? You even think he's too old for her? How can you be so shameless?"

"High school? Didn't you say seventeen years ago that your son was a carp that would surely rise to prominence? More than a decade has passed, and he still hasn't grown wings."

"Is this old mudfish no longer ambitious, but starting to think about seducing young girls?"

The couple's son stared wide-eyed at the words, but after being glanced at by Jiang Liangxu, he swallowed the words he was about to say and continued to shrink back into silence.

Zhao Xian saw Qian Wanshi's expression change drastically, but she had no intention of giving her a chance to speak.

“Uncle and Aunt, you have come to the wrong place today. My husband is just your nephew, not some wishing turtle in a temple pond.”

"You come here and can't even bear to part with a single copper coin, yet you keep making wishes without saying a word. How shameless of you!"

“The Bodhisattva on that Guanyin seat should be moved down and replaced by my uncle and aunt. You two are the best at making your wishes come true. Worshipping anyone else is not as useful as worshipping you.”

Having received the message from the maid, Li Lianniang and Cui Tingyue rushed over, just in time to hear their mother cursing.

Li Lianniang immediately took out a pen and ink.

Seeing this, Cui Tingyue asked, "What are you doing, sister-in-law?"

"Mother's scolding was excellent. I'll write it down so I can use it to scold people in the future."

Cui Tingyue whispered, "Let me see it too later."

Qian Juncai opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, his face growing increasingly ashen. He pointed at Zhao Xian and said, "You, you vulgar woman from the streets."

Zhao Xian chuckled lightly: "Uncle, you said the same thing to me more than ten years ago. Now I am a third-rank noblewoman, and you still haven't improved your way of cursing people. I'm worried for you."

After criticizing one old man, how can we let the other one off the hook?

Zhao Xian looked at Qian Wanshi: "And Aunt, that's not how you play the 'red face' role. Don't treat everyone like fools, like abacus beads are jumping out of your face."

To be honest, Zhao Xian really couldn't understand how anyone could be so daring.

How dare they?

With trembling hands, Qian Juncai shouted, "Jiang Liangxu, divorce her! Divorce her! This kind of shrew cannot be tolerated in the Qian family. Divorce her!"

They tried to argue who was right and who was wrong by raising their voices.

Jiang Liangxu slightly raised his eyelids and looked at Qian Juncai: "Fifth Uncle, is Second Cousin's hand alright?"

Qian Juncai suddenly turned pale, but still said unwillingly, "Jiang Liangxu, we are family, you are my own nephew."

"That's why you were so brazen as to break into my house and try to kill my wife and children, and why you haven't repented since."

Jiang Liangxu slowly stood up: "My maternal grandmother passed away, and you secretly held the funeral without informing me? I am her grandson. Didn't she want me to see her off?"

Fear instantly filled Qian Juncai's face, and Qian Wanshi's previous playful smile vanished.

Thinking back to seventeen years ago, her eldest son's hand was brutally broken.

Qian Shao, who had been hiding in the back the whole time, suddenly pointed at his parents and said, "Cousin, it has nothing to do with me. They insisted on coming. It has nothing to do with me."

After saying that, he didn't care about his parents and ran away.

He didn't want his hand to be broken like his older brother's; he still needed to hold the pen.

Qian Wanshi took two steps back, almost tripping over the chair leg: "If you don't want to, then forget it, why are you getting so worked up?"

Qian Wanshi hurriedly pulled Qian Juncai, trying to drag him outside.

Jiang Liangxu slightly raised his hand.

Immediately, servants blocked the doorway, preventing them from passing.

“We gave you a chance at the beginning, but you didn’t want to leave. Now, you don’t have to leave.”

Qian Juncai retorted, "Jiang Liangxu, I'm your elder. What do you want to do? Your mother used to dote on me the most. If she finds out you dared to disrespect me..."

“Since my mother loves you so much, then Uncle should go find her and ask her to continue to dote on you.”

Qian Juncai stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Liangxu".

A powerful, resonant voice of someone past their prime rang out.

The group looked out of the main hall.

Qian Juncai also looked over and saw the old man who had come with a cane and was being helped by others. He scrambled out, crying, "Big brother, big brother, big brother, save me! This kid is insubordinate and he's trying to harm me!"

The old man's name was Qian Junde, Jiang Liangxu's maternal uncle.

Qian Juncai rushed to his elder brother's feet, but was met with the stick of a cane.

After watching for a while, Zhao Xian said quietly, "It wasn't as powerful as the blow you gave my second cousin back then."

It can break bones and sever hands directly.

Jiang Liangxu nodded: "My uncle is getting old and his hands aren't strong enough, please understand."

The couple spoke without any restraint.

Before long, it was discovered that the force with which the stick fell had increased.

After striking him about ten times, Qian Junde, being of advanced age, became breathless and exhausted, and had no choice but to stop.

With a sigh, he looked at the couple and said, "Liangxu, it's because your uncle didn't keep an eye on them and caused you trouble again. Your uncle apologizes and will take them away right away."

Qian Juncai: "Big Brother."

Qian Junde looked at him with exasperation: "You still know I'm your older brother? How long are you going to keep this up? Come back with me."

Looking at their deep brotherly affection, Jiang Liangxu said quietly, "Uncle, I'll go and offer incense to my maternal grandmother when I have time."

Upon hearing this, Qian Junde knew that Jiang Liangxu was not going to let the matter rest.

Back then, Qian Juncai attempted to kill Zhao Xian and Jiang Wei so that Jiang Liangxu could marry Princess Rongyang, and the Qian family would also benefit from it.

However, when the matter was exposed, the mother, in order to protect her son, did not hesitate to kneel down to her grandson Jiang Liangxu, forcing him not to pursue the matter.

Jiang Liangxu was also stubborn. He knelt down and begged his maternal grandmother to spare the lives of Qian Juncai and his wife, but he would cut off one of Qian Yan's or Qian Shao's hands.

The fifth son had two sons; the younger son, Qian Shaogang, passed the imperial examination and became a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

The eldest son, Qian Yan, is not cut out for studying.

Finally, the couple abandoned Qianyan.

Qian Yan was never an honest and obedient person. Over the years, Qian Shao had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. His parents' favoritism, coupled with the fact that he had lost a hand and accomplished nothing, contributed to his situation.

The fifth branch has caused quite a bit of trouble over the years.

Even so, Qian Juncai still felt that Jiang Liangxu was his sister's son, and since his sister had loved him so much back then, she should help him.

Qian Junde knew that without his mother, and without the support of his maternal grandmother, Jiang Liangxu would never let them go.

Qian Junde couldn't understand how this pair of idiots, who didn't know how to behave properly, dared to come to the Jiang family's house.

"Alright, Liangxu, go when you have time."

Zhao Xian nudged Jiang Liangxu's arm, gesturing to the three little girls huddled together in that corner, who knew nothing about what was happening and had been dragged there to be "sold."

"Uncle, the Qian family isn't so destitute that they have to sell their daughters to make a living, is it?"

Jiang Liangxu opened his mouth.

Qian Junde then noticed the three girls huddled in the corner of the main hall. He had been holding back his temper for a long time before he spoke to them gently, saying, "Come here with your great-uncle, don't be afraid."

Qian Junde originally had an invitation from the Jiang family, but now he was too ashamed to stay.

Watching the group leave the Jiang family, Zhao Xian asked with some confusion, "Why did Uncle arrive so timely?"

The Qian family lives quite far away; it would take at least two or three days to travel there and back.

“My eldest uncle arrived yesterday and is staying at an inn. I sent a letter to him through a servant.”

Zhao Xian nodded, "By the way, your fifth uncle and aunt..."

When they made a mistake, Jiang Liangxu's maternal grandmother protected him with all her might. If she hadn't come forward, Jiang Liangxu wouldn't have known about those things.

She knew that if she let it go, she would not be willing to accept it. Why should the original owner of this body suffer those torments?

"I will handle this matter." Even in death, the grandmother planned for her son, concealing her passing from him.

Unfortunately, her son was stupid.

Zhao Xian suddenly reached out and pushed Jiang Liangxu away. "Go to Fuyang City. Go ahead. As I saw in my dream, your life and death are unknown. When they see that no one in the Jiang family is in charge, do you think they will come to our door to bully us orphans and widows?"

"Nonsense, I will not allow such a thing to happen."

"Do you think it won't happen just because you think it won't? Did you foresee what would happen today?" After Zhao Xian finished speaking, she felt a tightness in her chest, knowing it was the original owner's emotions.

The book does not mention the adoption of Cui Tingyue as an adopted daughter, nor does it mention the Qian family's fifth branch couple's plan to come to their door.

However, this gave her an opportunity to stop Jiang Liangxu from going to Fuyang City.

After saying that, he didn't look at Jiang Liangxu's expression, nor did he want to listen to his explanation.

Because Zhao Xian realized that she really couldn't argue with him.

He serves the people, and he is in the right.

Li Lianniang and Cui Tingyue were standing outside the door, arguing about who was older, and hadn't dared to go in until Zhao Xian came out. Only then did they step forward to help her leave, one on each side.

The arrival of the Qian family delayed things considerably, but it did not affect today's family reunion banquet.

Zhao Xian also noticed that her eyelids had stopped twitching.

Not long after the Qian family left, guests arrived.

The first to arrive were the Lu family members. Lord Lu and his son were in the front yard, while Zhao Xian was in the back yard to greet Madam Lu and Lu Zhaoying.

"Auntie, Third Sister brought all the silk flowers. I wonder if you will be able to use them? Third Sister just hopes to be of help to you."

Lu Zhaoying had her maid bring up the box. The silk flowers weren't heavy, but they took up a lot of space, so she put them in the box.

She had heard about Princess Rongyang's visit from her mother, so she had been making extra preparations lately and brought them with her today.

"Third Sister, you're so kind." Zhao Xian held the little girl's hand, clearly delighted, and then turned to instruct, "Peony, tell the old woman to move the box to my courtyard."

The group had barely exchanged a few words when a servant came to report that the lady had arrived.

These are all people of high status, and we cannot be negligent. Zhao Xian is destined to be restless today. "Madam Lu, you may sit and enjoy yourselves. I will go and attend to my duties."

"Go ahead, go ahead."

Once again, someone was received at the hanging flower gate. The voice from the front yard carried quite far: "King Yu, the Crown Prince of Yu has arrived, bringing congratulatory gifts..."

Just as Zhao Xian was about to take the hand of the Minister's wife beside her to the inner courtyard, she paused upon hearing this: "Prince Yu's heir?"

Isn't that the villain in the book who likes married women?

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Author's note: I've been working on this all day. Please point out any mistakes; my mind is completely blank.