Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
âGrandfather and Grandmother are both in good health. They are old and it took more than ten days to rush here. Their bodies wouldnât be able to withstand the journey, so they couldnât come.â Uncle said. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Uncle Yao smiled and added, âWhen the weather is cooler, 1â11 send them to you and let them live in your house for three to five years.â
âThatâs good. You have to honor this promise, Uncle Yao.â Han Qiao replied with a smile.
The atmosphere immediately became better.
Han Qiao also asked everyone how they were doing. How was their business doing?
How were the children at home doing?
She then asked Father Han and Mother Han, âHow are Father and Mother?â Howâs the business going along?â
The two of them looked as if they had aged much older.
They werenât doing well.
Han Qiao pretended not to see it and casually asked.
âBusiness is doing pretty good.â Father Han said calmly.
Han Dalang wanted to interject, but in the end, he pursed his lips and didnât say anything.
âAs long as itâs good.â Han Qiao smiled.
Han Chi was about to get married. He had been training how to welcome the bride these past few days and crammed up on his knowledge, so he did not return home yesterday.
Han Qiao was also very busy. She had to ask about all kinds of things, and she couldnât forget about posting the news of the wedding outside.
When Madam Feng and Feng Xinru came over, Han Qiao handed Ah-Yao over to Pucao and said a few words of farewell to her family, telling them to make themselves at home. If they wanted to go out for a walk, they could do so. She had to go and get busy.
She and Heng Yi didnât know how many tables they should prepare at first, but many people came with gifts to tell them that they would come to the wedding.
Therefore, more tables had to be added.
The wedding posters had to be written.
Emperor Zhao Qian had to invite all those to whom he had sent invitations when he sold his calligraphy.
This was how relationships and connections were cultivated.
After Han Qiao left, the Heng and Han family members returned to their own courtyards.
And some decided to walk around the house.
Old Woman Heng invited Han Yuan to walk with her.
Mother Han thought about it and didnât refuse.
âTsk, tsk, tsk, this house is really big,â Old Woman Heng sighed.
She reached out to touch the pillar and the wall.
âIf I could live in this house for a few years, I would wake up smiling in my dreams,â Old Woman Heng said.
She then turned to Han Yuan, âIn-law, you are Ah-Qiaoâs mother. She will let you stay for a while, right?â
Han Yuanâs heart skipped a beat.
âOf course, she will. Itâs just that my business is so busy these days. If I donât work for a day, I wonât earn a dayâs money.â
Old Woman Heng was envious of Han Yuan.
She knew that Han Yuanâs wonton stall was doing very well.
âDonât you have another daughter? Why didnât she come this time?â
At the mention of Han Xiangâ¦
Han Yuanâs face darkened.
âSheâs pregnant, so itâs not easy for her to travel.â
âI see. I thought the two sisters had cut off all ties.â
âIn-law, what do you mean?â Han Yuan asked coldly.
Han Qiao and Han Xiang had indeed broken off their relationship.
Han Xiang was indeed pregnant after she remarried, but her husbandâs family was large, and each one was more scheming than the last.
Their new son-in-law looked like a decent man at first, but gradually, he showed his hatred towards Han Xiangâs two children.
Now that the two children were being raised by the two elders, the stall did not earn enough money to cover their daily needs.
They were almost unable to make ends meet.
They came to Chenzhou because they wanted Han Qiao to help them outâ¦
âI donât mean anything. Itâs something that everyone knows. Iâm just asking casually,â After Old Woman Heng finished speaking, she snorted coldly and left.
She could tell that Han Qiao was not close to her parents at all.
Which was very unusual.
Otherwise, she wouldnât dare to make fun of Han Yuan like that even if she was threatened with being beaten to death if she didnât.
Han Yuan watched Old Woman Hengâs departing figure, her eyes red with anger.
After thinking about it, she decided to look for Han Qiao.
Han Yuan hadnât arrived at the main courtyard yet, but Han Qiao already knew about the confrontation between the two older women.
She chuckled.
When Han Yuan arrived, she said to Madam Feng and Feng Xinru, âPlease take a seat. Iâll be back soon.â
âGo ahead. Sister-in-law and 1 will help you keep an eye on this.â Feng Xinru smiled and pushed Han Qiao.
Her relationship with Han Qiao was different now.
Other than friends, they were slowly becoming sisters.
Han Qiao met Han Yuan in the side hall.
The mother and daughter met again after a few months, and for a moment, they didnât know what to say to each other.
Han Yuan had many things she wanted to say, but she didnât know how to say them.
Han Qiao observed her silently.
After a while, Han Yuan cried out, âAh-Qiao, how did we end up like this?â
This questionâ¦
Han Qiao wanted to ask her back.
âDonât you know the answer to that?â
Yet her mother still came to her and said the same thing. She didnât care if they were biased or not. She just felt that people had to distinguish between right and wrong. A person couldnât be so biased that it blinded them from morality.
She sighed softly.
She regretted sending the invitation to them to Ah-Chiâs wedding.
She was looking for trouble over nothing.
âMother, letâs not talk about this.â
âAs for the reason, you know everything. Why ask me?â
Han Qiao stared at Han Yuan, who was wiping her tears. She noticed, her wrist was bare, âMother, whereâs the gold bracelet I gave you?â
Han Yuanâs hand that was wiping her tears stopped.
She quickly pulled up her sleeves guiltily.
Han Qiao chuckled, âYou sold it, didnât you?â
Han Yuan felt even more guilty.
âYou sold it for Han Xiangâs two children, right?â
âMother, look, you even sold the gold bracelet 1 gave you. What do you want me to say? Heng Yiâs adoptive mother still kept the golden bracelet I gave her.â
Han Yuan felt ashamed.
âWhat can I do? Iâ¦â Han Yuan cried anguishly.
âDidnât you choose this yourself? Why are you crying now?â
Why was she crying now?
Did she think that crying would make her heart soften?
Well, she would have to be disappointed then.
âMother, Ah-Chi is about to get married. Donât cry at home. Itâs bad luck,â Han Qiaoâs voice became even fainter.
Han Yuan choked on her sobs.
Her words were stuck in her throat.
She didnât expect Han Qiao to say something like that.
âMarriage should be a joyous occasion. If Mother has any grievances or bitterness, we can talk about it after Ah-Chi gets married. I donât want to listen to it now, and I donât have the time to listen. You just stay here with Father and the others. If youâre in a good mood, go out and wander around. Itâs not often for you to have the opportunity to come here.â
âThe things in the state capital are better than the things in the county. There are more of them. There will be something you will take a fancy to.â
Han Yuan listened, but her heart ached.
She wanted to go out, but she was short of money.
Her three sons gave her some silver, but this money was used to buy a greeting gift for Ah-Chiâs new wife.
She didnât have any money left to go shopping.
Han Yuan pursed her lips and wiped her tears.
Han Qiao was very annoyed.
At this time, crying would bring bad omen to the newlyweds.
She took a deep breath and stood up, âMother, Iâm going to get busy. You can calm down here. Iâll ask someone to send you back in a while.â
âAh-Qiao, do you blame me?â Han Yuan asked carefully.
Han Qiao took a deep breath.
âI canât say if I blamed you or not. At this juncture, I really donât want to see anyone crying. Mother, wipe your tears. The girl that Ah-Chi is marrying is the princess of the Imperial Family, not a girl from an ordinary family.â
âAs a member of my family and his grandmother, you should give him your blessing happily and leave a good impression on your new daughter-in-law if you still want to come and visit in the future,â
These words made all the status in the family clear.
Whether she understood or not, that was Han Yuanâs problem now..