Chapter 14
Shopkeeper Lu’s face darkened as she looked at the Tian family.
“Back then, she was about to die when she came to town. It was I, Lu Sanniang, who spent a lot of money to save her life. Now, she’s working for me.”
“She rarely spoke, and I have never seen her tell anyone about her past. Don’t come to my shop to look for trouble. Go back to your village and ask those gossipy women.”
“How secretive do you think this was? If you continue to do what you did today and start to push sh*t on my people, be careful that I will make you suffer.”
Madam Tian Li’s anger was ignited. She wasn’t afraid of Shopkeeper Lu and immediately put her hands on her waist and puffed out her chest like a rooster in a fight.
“What does it have to do with you that I’m teaching my daughter-in-law a lesson?”
“Bullsh*t! You wrote the letter of release for more than a month. Who is your daughter-in-law? How shameless. Qiao Mai is my embroidery girl. I bought her with money. Who the f*ck do you think you are?”
“Pah, don’t think I’m afraid of you because you’re running a small shop in town. My son is studying in town and will be a high official in the future. Be careful not to provoke me. I’ll make you go to prison.”
Shopkeeper Lu had one hand on her waist and the other holding a handkerchief as she pointed at Madam Tian Li.
“He’s only been studying for two years. What are you showing off for? You can do whatever you want in your village. It’s not like there aren’t any Elementary Scholars in town. Be careful that your grandson can’t get in when the time comes. You can forget about your old face.”
Shopkeeper Lu returned Madam Tian Li’s insults with ten times the firepower. Madam Tian Li was a shrew in the village, after all. If she couldn’t win, she would sit on the ground and play dumb.
Lu Sanniang stood at the door of her shop and roared.
“Who’s going to run errands and report to the mayor that someone is causing trouble in my shop?”
“I, I’ll go!”
Someone raised his hand and ran away. Madam Tian Li, who was on the ground, was so scared that she did not dare to cry. However, the show had already started. How could she get up without a way out?
Madam Tian Li stole a glance at Old Tian and used her eyes to ask the head of the family.
Old Tian knew his family was not in the right. Even the people in the nown. It was possible that the Qiao family also knew about it. This matter had spread a long time ago.
They had come to cause a ruckus because they wanted to see if Qiao Mai was valued by Shopkeeper Lu.
They wanted to inquire about the situation. They thought that Qiao Mai might not only have a monthly salary, but she could also learn craftsmanship. She used to like Sanzhuang quite a lot. If it was possible, it would be best if they could coax her back. That way, there would be someone to work at home, and she could earn more money.
It was really too money-consuming to raise a scholar. They would not let go of any ideas they could come up with.
Unfortunately, Shopkeeper Lu had stopped them outside the door and did not speak nicely. That was why Madam Tian Li started fighting with Lu Sanniang.
When the two saw that someone had gone to invite the mayor, Old Tian shouted at Madam Tian Li.
“What are you doing? Get up now. You’re embarrassing me.”
Madam Tian Li then quickly scrambled up and stood at the side as if afraid of men.
Old Tian cupped his hands at Shopkeeper Lu. “I’m sorry. My wife was muddle-headed.”
“Humph.”
“The two of us came here to find Madam Qiao to verify. After all, my eldest grandson is studying, and this old man doesn’t want this matter to affect his future.”
“Accumulate more virtue if you don’t want that to happen. The daughter you’re torturing is someone else’s daughter, not yours. You didn’t buy her either.”
“Yes, yes, I didn’t teach my wife enough.”
Shopkeeper Lu was knowledgeable. How could the couple become husband and wife if they are not the same type of people? Both of them looked mean.
Putting everything else aside, Qiao Mai had already divorced, yet they still came to find her. They were shameless.
They would plead their case in court if they had the ability. Even a fool knew why they came here.
They thought Qiao Mai was still the same person who was easy to deal with. They would scare her and then coax her back after promising her some benefits.
After observing Madam Qiao for the past two days, Lu Sanniang found that Qiao Mai was an opinionated person. She would not be tricked back by their words.
Sure enough, just as Shopkeeper Lu stood up for Qiao Mai, Qiao Mai ignored the Tian family and calmly sat there and finished the last procedure of the palace fan.
From this point, she could tell Qiao Mai had long given up on the Tian family and would not return at all.
That was why they were scolding each other just now. She, Lu Sanniang, had been in town for many years. She was not someone to be trifled with. She was capable and shrewish. Most importantly, she did not lack money.
In a lawsuit, as long as she wanted to win, the other party would not have a good ending even if she was in the wrong once the money was in place.
Despite society praising farmers, everyone knew that those with no money or power were at the lowest level of the hierarchy.
Don’t look down on merchants. At the very least, merchants have money in their hands, and their lives are better than those of peasants.
Money could make the world go round. Without money, officials were still looked down upon.
Old Tian knew this very well, so he did not dare to let his wife cause a ruckus with Shopkeeper Lu. After saying a few soft words, Old Tian was about to take Madam Tian Li away.
After Qiao Mai finished the embroidery work, she put the fan into an exquisite wooden box and called out to Old Tian, who was about to leave.
“Wait!”
At this moment, the people in the town were crowded. She calmly came to the shop entrance and looked down at the people from the Tian family.
“This is the first time and also the last time. I will definitely do what I promised you. Also, since I have left the Tian family, I will not return.”
“In the future, if you find an excuse to cause trouble, we’ll see each other in court. There’s nothing between us anymore. I won’t be beaten even if I sue you. I believe you won’t be stupid.”
Old Tian and Madam Tian Li snorted coldly after hearing this. They turned around and were about to leave. They did not expect that before the mayor came, Qiao Mai’s biological parents arrived. What a coincidence.
Qiao Mai knew she would have to face them sooner or later. This matter had long spread to Lihua Village. Now that they had found her, the Qiao family must have observed her for a long time before making up their minds.
In the feudal era, no matter if a woman was divorced or separated peacefully, her reputation would be tarnished.
Some maiden families immediately cut ties with their daughters when they heard of it. Some directly refused to see their daughters. If Qiao Mai’s health allowed it, she would have returned to her family. She would have cut ties with them if possible and ended everything once and for all.
Shopkeeper Lu didn’t expect Madam Qiao’s in-laws and maiden family to arrive one after the other.
“Sister?”
“Sister Lu, don’t worry. Watch the show from behind. I can handle it.”
A couple squeezed into the crowd. The man was called Qiao Shicheng, and he was not tall. The woman was Madam Qiao Lu, and she was thin and weak. She was about forty years old, and her back was slightly arched. Her clothes were patched, and she looked haggard. She carried a bamboo basket on her back.
When they saw Qiao Mai, they couldn’t believe she was their daughter.
Madam Qiao Lu stared at Qiao Mai with a hesitant look, her lips trembling as she tried to call out.
“Mai?”
When Qiao Mai saw this couple, her memories were like a flood with an open gate. The bits and pieces of the original owner’s life in her maiden family seemed to come back to her.
She stared at them and asked coldly.
“What’s the matter?”
Madam Qiao Lu’s tears immediately flowed out. “Are you really my Mai?”
“Mai? No, I’m not your Mai. I’m Lihua Village’s Qiao family’s money-losing b*tch.”
Madam Qiao Lu was about to speak when Qiao Shicheng, who was beside her, strode forward and attacked Qiao Mai. Qiao Mai dodged to the side, and he was so mad that he pointed at Qiao Mai and cursed.
“You shameless slut. After marrying a man, you should stay in your in-laws’ house to serve your husband and raise your children. Who gave you the guts to ask the Tian family for a release letter? What? Since you were married, you would be a member of the Tian family in life and a ghost of the Tian family in death. Shameless thing. You’ve really disgraced my Qiao family.”
Qiao Mai suddenly felt relieved. No wonder the original owner didn’t have any hatred. It turned out that the girls taught in such a family lived and died for their in-laws when they grew up. What kind of nonsense was this?
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