Chapter 291: Pushed Forward to Death
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The embroidery shop has many customers, but there are more window shoppers than buyers. After all, they’re facing a target group of wealthy individuals.
As they plan to settle in the capital, Nanny Jin has bought eight clever maids from a young age to cultivate them. Even if Ling’er gets married in the future, they will go along as part of the dowry.
This was a plan Nanny Jin had carefully considered early on. She will go along with the eight maids.
Now that she considers Ling’er her daughter, Nanny Jin has spared no effort in her upbringing. She couldn’t bear to let Ling’er go to her in-laws alone. Qiao Mai didn’t stop her. She couldn’t ask for more to have such a loyal servant.
Qiao Mai decisively entered her space, bought eight sewing machines from the platform, and gave them to Ling’er as a grand opening gift.
This made Ling’er so happy she almost couldn’t find her bearings. “Mother, is this faster than hand-sewing clothes?”
Qiao Mai saw their doubts and demonstrated them on the spot. A piece of clothing was finished in half an hour. The stitches were even, dense, and neat.
Nanny Jin kept gulping continuously. She wanted to be the first spectator among the audience, sincerely and humbly learning from Qiao Mai.
The next was Ling’er.
“Once you learn it, you can teach it to the others. In the future, your shop can design styles and make them yourselves. The items must be of high quality. If the needles on the machine break and you run out, you can ask me for more. If the machine is broken, you can ask me to fix it.”
“With these machines, our embroidery shop will be even more impressive!”
“Keep a low profile. We don’t lack money in our family. Opening this shop is only to give you something to do.”
“Mother, I want to share the profits with you.”
“Just give me the cost of goods you took. I don’t care about your money.”
“Hehe! ”
Now, the embroidery shop has gained confidence with the help of Qiao Mai occasionally buying new clothes from the platform. Within a short month, the shop became more famous than the most prestigious clothing store in the capital.
As for Qiao’s Small Eatery, it promoted the snacks from Tianshui Town and made bank every day.
People say that people fear fame as pigs fear fattening up.
If it weren’t for Yuan Jiaqi, a first-rank minister, someone would have caused trouble for the shop long ago.
Qiao Mai was waiting for trouble to come. She didn’t have time to investigate who was good or bad in the capital.
She only waited for them to envy and resent. Then, she would have a good reason to eliminate them.
Sure enough, someone couldn’t bear it anymore. In the middle of the night, they sent men to Lucky Garden.
Qiao Mai and Yuan Jiaqi were sleeping on the brick bed. As the three sheep had a covenant with Qiao Mai, they immediately notified her once they found someone coming.
“Master, bad people are intruding. How do we deal with it?”
Qiao Mai didn’t even get up. “Kill whoever comes and leave one alive.”
When the sun rose, chaos broke out in the capital. People died on the street. Some even found corpses in their homes.
The sheep were too fierce. Using the horns on their heads, they sent the black-clothed men flying. Due to the force, it was unclear where they would land.
This resulted in the scene that morning. Qiao Mai waited until Yuan Jiaqi went to court, had lunch with her family, and then returned to the backyard with the sheep.
“Master, that person didn’t die. He’s in the east wing, but he’s about to die. If you want to search his soul, you need to hurry.”
Qiao Mai walked into the east wing, where she saw a black-clothed person lying motionless on the ground.
She squatted down, pressed on the person’s head with one hand, and rummaged. The man’s breath faltered, and Qiao Mai glanced at the sheep.
“Deal with it yourselves. Toss him wherever you like.”
One sheep bit the man’s clothes and dragged him to the yard, while the other two took a few steps back and rammed into the black-clothed man.
The body disappeared from sight.
“Whoever dares to sneak into Lucky Garden at night will die!”
“Yes, Master!”
At this time, several families heads walked with their hands behind their backs, their faces dark. It was clear they had just vented their anger.
Among them was the Liu family. Although Qiao Mai’s shop had nothing to do with their medical hall, they suspected her for their robbery case. Now, Qiao Mai’s shop was making a fortune in the capital.
In one month, her shop became famous. They couldn’t swallow this anger.
So, they sent ten secret guards to Qiao Mai’s house for information. Several other families did the same. Overnight, more than fifty people died at Lucky Garden.
They knew it was her but could only swallow their anger and dare not admit it.
If they did, they would receive no justice and only ruin their reputation.
Why send men to others’ homes? That’s a private residence. Without an official search warrant, the homeowners have the right to deal with as many people as they want.
These people died deservedly, but it was a pity their bodies affected the streets of the capital.
However, there was nothing they could do. The sheep didn’t know their limits. Anyway, they pushed forward to their deaths under Qiao Mai’s order.
Most of the black-clothed men had their intestines smashed and fell from the sky like pancakes, a fresh way to die.
No matter how chaotic the capital was, it was time to focus on Yun’er.
Mu Rong found Qiao Mai. “Mother, should we go to their house to propose marriage?”
“Sure. You’re close to the Xiao family. Choose a suitable day to propose. We are on the groom’s side, so we need to see the bride’s wishes. Prepare the same gifts as when we went to yours. Don’t favor one side too much.”
“It’s okay to be partial. I won’t mind. After all, Feng’er and I are the eldest. I should naturally give in to my younger siblings.”
“That’s not right. In my eyes, a balanced approach is the best. If things are unbalanced, it’s easy to cause trouble. I won’t give you a chance to criticize me behind my back.”
“Mother, I dare not. I’ve been disciplined by you and am well-behaved.”
“Enough of your chatter. The account is with the steward. Go and get it ready.
On the appointed day, we will go with you.”
“Yes.”
On the eighth day of August, Qiao Fengyun went with his family to propose.
After half a month, the engagement was settled. On the sixteenth of September, the betrothal gifts were exchanged. The wedding was scheduled for the following year.
They didn’t want a wedding in the deep winter; it was too cold, and the food and drinks wouldn’t be enjoyable.
When the Emperor heard Yuan Jiaqi’s son had another engagement as grand as the first one, he furrowed his brows.
He tilted his head and asked his close attendant, “Is Yuan Jiaqi’s wife so good at making money?”
“Yes. Just the land she bought in the County She yielded an annual income of over a hundred thousand taels of silver. Additionally, she has an eatery in Tianshui Town and the capital. Altogether, it’s no less than three to four hundred thousand taels of silver annually.”
The Emperor put down his pen. “Let’s go. Let’s visit her shop.”
“Your Majesty, isn’t it inappropriate?”
“What’s inappropriate? I’ve been bored in the palace. Let the Golden Dragon Guards protect me. You drive the carriage. Isn’t the street in front of her shop quiet?”
“That was before. Since she opened these two shops, the street has become crowded.”
“Enough. Stop talking.”
So, with Yubao, the attendant, driving the carriage, and the old Emperor sitting inside, they arrived at Huangdao Street.
Since they came out for a walk, they couldn’t sit in the carriage all the time. The Emperor asked Yubao to stop the carriage on the side and then strolled along the street.
Autumn in the south was still humid, but the street had beautiful and elegant awnings, making it pleasant to watch.
Many people made their purchases and sat on the street to rest. The shop assistants immediately came forward with a smile.
“Excuse me, what would you like to drink or eat? Here is the menu.” Seeing such a warm scene, the Emperor immediately joined in.
“Bring us two of each item on your menu.”
The assistant looked at the Emperor and said, “It’s late autumn now, and you shouldn’t drink too much. Even if you like it, you should drink in moderation.” The Emperor thought for a moment. “Well, let’s have a cup of yogurt then..”
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