Chapter 227: She Would Not Share Dong Zhao
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After Qiao Mai glared at him, Yuan Jiaqi quickly changed his words. “As long as they like it, we’ll keep them. I don’t care. I was only joking.”
“Hmph!”
Interrupted by him, Qiao Mai didn’t continue sleeping. Considering it was the first day of the lunar year, she didn’t want to be lazy in bed. Yuan Jiaqi followed her as they both got out of bed.
In their backyard, it was only the two of them with no need for servants.
They had finished their morning routines, and the couple visited Old Mistress Wang with the kittens.
When they met, they paid their respects to Old Mistress Wang and offered New Year’s greetings.
True to form, the old lady fell in love with the cute kittens, holding them affectionately.
“Did you get these for me?”
“Yes, these are a New Year’s gift for you. Do you like them?”
“I love them. I’ve never seen cats like these before.
Yuan Jiaqi couldn’t help but wonder. The version he heard in the bedroom was that the cats were rescued, but now, they were presented as a special New Year’s gift for Old Mistress Wang.
He decided not to say anything as long as his wife was happy.
When Qiao Mai mentioned that one of these kittens was meant for Ling’er, Old Mistress Wang felt a pang of sympathy.
“Separating them at such a young age is quite cruel. Why don’t you let me raise them both? Once Ling’er is older, she can have one.”
Qiao Mai was speechless. She understood that Old Mistress Wang felt Ling’er was too young and might not be able to take care of the kittens properly.
“Alright, you can raise them. I’ll get another pair for her.”
“Good, you’re capable. Get her another pair.”
It appears that Old Mistress Wang truly adores them and is protecting them like precious treasures.
Feng’er, Yun’er, and Chuan’er arrived shortly after. The three paid their respects to Old Mistress Wang and their parents.
After that, Nanny Jin brought Ling’er into the room.
However, surprisingly, when Ling’er saw the little cats, she liked them but didn’t express a desire to keep them. She caressed them briefly, and that was it.
On the other hand, the three brothers were quite taken by these cats. They found them incredibly beautiful and thought it was astonishing that cats like these existed. Everything from their mother was rare.
Qiao Mai quietly asked Ling’er, “Sweetheart, you don’t seem overly fond of these kittens. What type of pet do you like?”
“Hehe, big, grand, and majestic!”
The six-year-old had an unexpectedly extravagant taste.
“Like what?”
“Something like Dong Zhao. I really, really like it. If you can give it to me, I’ll bow to you every day.”
She must be kidding. Dong Zhao belonged to her, and she wouldn’t be sharing it.
Nevertheless, she kept her daughter’s request in her heart. If Ling’er liked something big, she would find something suitable in her platform. It wouldn’t hurt to have a few extra things to play with, and it would keep her daughter entertained.
Old Mistress Wang truly adored these two kittens. During the meal, she couldn’t help but glance back at them frequently.
She felt like embracing Qiao Mai, expressing her gratitude for bringing these two little bundles of joy into her life. The gift was perfectly to her liking.
After breakfast, nobody left as they planned to receive guests in the front hall shortly. However, Old Mistress Wang was adamant about not joining them, waving them off as they went.
“Your affairs, your social duties. I won’t go. I want to stay with my little darlings.”
Qiao Mai couldn’t help but shake her head, wondering if she had done something wrong. Old Mistress Wang was mesmerized by these cats.
If her husband returned and saw this scene, he might challenge her to a duel.
According to tradition, everyone had breakfast before visiting Qiao Mai’s courtyard to offer New Year’s greetings.
Due to the end of the drought, they decided to celebrate, and the red envelopes were exceptionally large – each person received ten taels of silver.
The year-end red envelopes each contained ten taels of silver, making the servants ecstatic.
With their household chores taken care of, the gates of Lucky Garden opened.
The steward, along with the maids, set off a few firecrackers at the entrance to welcome the guests.
Most of the visitors were familiar faces from the town. In previous years, Qiao Mai had only given New Year’s greetings to the mayor.
This year, she was feeling lazy and decided not to go.
So, they waited for the guests to come to them. The number of visitors was small. The first to arrive were the Liu family, who had received great kindness from their niece, Qiao Mai.
Madam Liu Qiao was the first to give red envelopes to the children. Qiao Mai glanced at them, noticing they contained silver.
Qiao Mai had several children, while the Liu family only had one beloved child. To ensure her children didn’t feel slighted, Qiao Mai immediately took a 100-tael silver note and handed it to Liu Bao.
This surprised Madam Liu Qiao, who tried to decline.
“It’s New Year’s, and giving red envelopes is for celebrating. Declining would be denying our blessings.”
Reluctantly, Madam Liu Sun allowed Liu Bao to accept the red envelope. Qiao Mai looked at her and decided that her sister-in-law was a good person, hardworking, and thoughtful. She made a mental note to gift her a set of jewelry after the Lunar New Year.
The Liu family didn’t stay long in the living room. They excused themselves as more people were arriving. Qiao Mai didn’t stop them and let them go.
The second group of visitors was the Qin family. Over the past years, they had benefited greatly from Qiao Mai’s kindness, and their business had thrived.
In addition, with the presence of Yuan Jiaqi, an official, they had to exchange New Year’s greetings regardless of seniority.
Qiao Mai and Yuan Jiaqi didn’t put on airs, and they exchanged New Year’s greetings with warmth.
They gave red envelopes to each other’s children, adding to the lively atmosphere. They chatted for a while, then took their leave when more guests arrived.
The third group of visitors was Shopkeeper Tong and his family. These past three years of drought had been tough on him, and he had benefited from his association with the Qiao family. Without their help, his inn might have gone out of business.
The fourth group of visitors was Assistant Qiu from the broker center. He only stayed briefly, departing after a short visit.
The fifth group was led by Mayor Qian. He arrived with Lu Sanniang, followed by Xiu Hong and Xiu Yu.
“Haha, I’ve come to wish you all a Happy New Year!”
“You’re flattering us!.”
“No, no! We’re all peers. From now on, you must call me ‘brother-in-law.”‘ “Alright, Brother-in-law Qian! Sister Lu, Happy New Year!”
“Happy New Year! We came over today and won’t be leaving until the afternoon.’
“Great! Let’s have a lively time together.”
Lu Sanniang gave red envelopes to Qiao Mai’s children and joined her husband in the adjoining hall, where they snacked on melon seeds and sipped tea. Who would want to stay home when there were so many delicious treats in the Qiao family home? Mayor Qian couldn’t resist offering some tasty snacks to Lu Sanniang.
She gave him an annoyed look and said, “I’ve eaten these treats at my sister’s house many times. I’m not deprived!”
“Eat them! These are high-quality items. A good diet is essential for your health and fertility.”
Lu Sanniang blushed slightly and playfully pinched Mayor Qian, causing him to exclaim. They were indeed a lively and affectionate couple.
Qiao Mai shook her head, noticing the glances she and Yuan Jiaqi exchanged.
She chuckled, “Are you envious?”
“My wife, I’m not Mayor Qian, and he’s not me. We have our way of getting along.”
“It’s good that you know.”
Qiao Mai gave him a teasing look, which instantly made Yuan Jiaqi feel warm and aroused.
“Can’t resist temptation, can you?”
“My wife, I can’t resist your temptation!”
Qiao Mai covered her mouth, smiling. Just then, another group of visitors arrived at the courtyard entrance, but Qiao Mai and Yuan Jiaqi didn’t recognize them.
They went to welcome the new arrivals and asked, “Who are you?”
“Haha, it’s Brother Yuan and sister-in-law, right? It’s our first meeting. I didn’t expect it to be on the first day of the Lunar New Year.”
County Governor Yi followed with a courteous bow, “I’m the governor of Yi
County, Zhu Zhengfang. I should have come to pay my respects earlier.” “Ah, it’s a local official visiting! My apologies, please come in!”
“Please, no need for formalities, Brother Yuan. We’re all officials here.’
Governor Zhu’s mentor and his entourage followed him into the living room, where Governor Zhu introduced them to Qiao Mai and Yuan Jiaqi..
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