Chapter 75: Chapter 75
Chapter 75
"In that case, let us prepare to bring the food inside," Xiao Long said.
The little boy was so hungry his stomach burned. Whatever needed to be done could wait until after he had a hearty breakfast.
"Yes, go ahead," Yueqian said with a faint, affectionate smile. Her husband’s little brother was truly adorable. She could see it from the way he rolled his eyes when the servant had come to call earlier. He must have been quite mentally exhausted.
While the four of them were talking and planning together harmoniously, in the house where it was a bedroom of Mu Heng and Yueqian, the sharp eyes of the man from the Qin family softened involuntarily. He wasn’t just sitting there waiting; he was also observing the actions of his little sister who liked to do things beyond her capacity.
"Seeing you this happy is truly a good thing," the young man muttered, a hint of relief showing on his face. At least his little sister had finally married the man she desired.
From when she was young, he had sensed that something was off with little Yueqian. She didn’t seem to care much for her fiancé. If it had been another girl, she would have resisted and begged her parents to cancel the engagement. But his Yueqian was wiser beyond her years. She knew that opposing her parents about the betrothal between two families was impossible.
So, she chose a different path.
Even if it meant creating a bad reputation for herself, she was willing to take that route to ultimately walk the path she wanted. And today, he could see how happy his little Yueqian was with the path she had chosen.
The only unfortunate thing was that she didn’t realize how twisted human nature could be!
Qin Mazhu had known the thoughts of that despicable man from the beginning. The other man always kept a close watch on his sister. No matter how aggressive Yueqian was, could someone without feelings for her endure her to that extent?
Thus, he always detested the other man. He hated him to the point that whenever they met, there were always arguments, all in hopes that the man would stop meddling with the Qin family.
Unexpectedly, not only did the other party not give up, but even after his little Yueqian had married off, he still harbored the vile intention of taking Yueqian for himself!
Their foolish Qin family quickly seized that opportunity. They didn’t care whether his little sister agreed or not; all they wanted was to restore their reputation.
After Yueqian embarrassed them with her actions, the first thing they did was to punish her by banishing her from the capital, exiling her to make people believe the Qin family never supported or involved with such actions from their descendants.
By doing so, they managed to salvage half of their tarnished image. Of course, it was he who suggested this solution.
Well... If he hadn’t pushed for it, did anyone think the Qin family would figure out what needed to be done? They might have ordered her to be flogged, injuring her to the point of death to make up for her fault.
Knowing Yueqian’s small schemes, he knew all along that she wanted to escape far from here. Thus, he simply spoke a few words
Thanks to his cleverness, their parents naturally paid attention to his suggestions and even praised him for a long time. They were oblivious to the fact that his advice was not for the Qin family’s sake but for his stubborn little sister’s benefit.
It’s unfortunate that she had too little time to enjoy herself. This matter had grown so significant that even the princes and the emperor took some interest, due to the concubines’ discussions about it. Thus, the Qin family hurried here themselves.
It seemed that the "Young General" didn’t despise Yueqian, and the drugged incident might have been a consensual act between the two. The General’s family even stated that the servant who guided the Young General into the room where Yueqian was sleeping was one of his own.
The reversal of events and the Qin elders’ misunderstanding, which led to the separation of the two lovers, became a widespread topic of conversation.
Even the emperor’s “beloved consort”, who was the Young General’s older sister, lamented that her brother was unfortunate to be unable to be with Yueqian. Despite being engaged since childhood, obstacles kept them apart.
This prompted the emperor to also send people to monitor this interesting story. On the way, the princes themselves inquired directly if the purpose of this visit was to take Lady Qin back.
Just the indication of this large-scale turmoil made him feel pity for his little sister. He never expected that despite her planning for decades, just a words from a consort could lead the most powerful person in the kingdom to express a desire to know more about this matter.
He thought that the wretched Young General had surely planned for his older sister to act this way. It seemed that person had no intention of letting his sister go! He was determined to force her to be his wife, no matter the cost!
Qin Mazhu’s thick eyebrows quickly relaxed when he saw the little girl holding a bowl of porridge while entering the house. This girl appeared innocent and easily frightened, yet she was still diligent.
Though she seemed scared of him, she found a way to cope by not looking at him, taking each step methodically, relying on her familiarity with serving food.
She seemed so obedient. If she were his own child, he would be very happy.
Ah... was he thinking of seeing his little niece from his little sister?
"At my house, we’re poor. Each person only gets one bowl of food, and there’s no dessert. If it’s not enough for you, you can always go back and have breakfast with the Qin family. They probably have plenty of cooks with them," Yueqian said after seeing Xiao Long place the bowl of porridge in front of the older man.
Qin Mazhu laughed for once. He didn’t mind and simply used the peculiar-looking ceramic spoon to take a bite of the hot porridge. The aroma of pork sautéed with ginger was good together. It might have been because the oil Yueqian used was better than the usual lard found in the market, so there was no lingering unpleasant smell in his mouth.
Combined with the vibrant color of the dried shrimp and salty taste, along with the soft diced carrots, it made him want to keep eating.
The fragrance of the scallions and cilantro was quite strong, but since they were in the right amount, the eater could enjoy the meal. Before long, the large bowl of porridge was emptied easily.
Qin Mazhu placed his bowl down with regret. He wanted to ask for more but felt it would trouble them, as none of the four hosts had finished their food yet.
Seeing her older brother eat with such abandon, forgetting his usual composure, Yueqian couldn’t help but smile. Out of personal annoyance toward him, she slowly spooned the porridge into her mouth, one bite at a time. It was great that the siblings and her husband seemed to share her sentiments, so the meal, which should have been quick, dragged on longer than usual.
After everyone had finished eating, the two little ones took their older brother’s bowl and went into the kitchen without asking Qin Mazhu if he wanted more food. This left the big man with a darkened expression, almost laughable. Yueqian didn’t have seconds, so she could see her brother’s face as he watched the two children go into the kitchen, his eyes were like someone who was pleading for mercy.
“Big Brother, I made quite a lot of rice porridge. I think we won’t be back for lunch. If you’re not full, please help yourself to more. However, for the first bowl, this younger sister, Yueqian, treats you. But for the second bowl...” Yueqian turned her palm upwards.
Qin Mazhu narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing his younger sister say this.
He immediately realized he had been outsmarted by her. This little girl had always valued money more than her brother. Every time he invited her to the market, she would agree just because she would have him pay for her things. As she grew older, she would avoid him because he constantly nagged about her spending, unless he said he would take her shopping, that was when she would go with him.
He didn’t expect that even after getting married and having a husband, she still hadn’t changed her ways.
“Here’s one tael of gold, for my second bowl of porridge,” he could only hand her the money.
Even though he knew she wasn’t that hard up, his little sister was still stingy with him.
“Thank you, Xiao Long... serve your sister-in-law’s big brother another bowl of porridge,” Yueqian accepted it cheerfully.
For the eldest son of the Qin family, spending one tael of gold was like scattering pennies on the road. However, she still needed money, so the more she got from him, the better. Therefore, Yueqian didn’t reject his generous gesture of one gold tael.
“Hmph, naughty Qian’er. It must be hard for you to live here. It seems your big brother needs to help you return to the capital soon,” Qin Mazhu lightly tapped the table, pretending to act like an arrogant scholar again.
“Heh heh, even if you don’t say it, I doubt anyone would let me stay here peacefully,” Yueqian paid no mind, turning her head away in boredom. She had no interest in anything related to her current situation.
"Then, Qian’er, you will obediently agree to return to the capital, right?" The older man tapped his slender fingers rhythmically once more, a habit of his when he wanted to think.
Yueqian looked at the older brother and shook her head in refusal.
"If I return obediently, how could I be called a villainess?" The young woman laughed a few time. There was no way the Qin family’s arrival this time would result in her being taken back.
A wife who had been married for less than a year moving elsewhere? She hadn’t even stayed long enough to light an incense and pay respect to her in-laws on their death anniversaries. If that wasn’t called unfilial, what was?
Moreover, she wasn’t the main character this time. According to the storyline, this was when the heroine and hero would fight against the bandits who used poison, right? The heroine’s path to the Young General’s manor should be beginning now. Therefore, the Qin family’s arrival was just to receive this slap in the face.
“Hm? In that case... Big Brother will just wait and see what drama my little sister has in store.” Although Qin Mazhu was somewhat worried, he trusted in his little sister’s abilities. Since Yueqian seemed to have a plan in mind, he decided not to interfere. Besides, if his sister ended up in the capital, wouldn’t that be good? After all, he could protect her better there than here.
