Chapter 1126: Friendly
Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Xuan must have returned from the province early in the morning, and everyone knew that she must not have eaten anything yet. As dozens of people had not eaten either, despite the late hour, they all enthusiastically joined in to help prepare food. They worked together to kill chickens, crack eggs, wash rice, and pick and wash vegetables, keeping busy in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan was surrounded by Ms. Fang and a group of senior villagers, all eager to ask her various questions. They were particularly concerned about how Shao Yunduan was doing in the capital, and Qiao Xuan happily answered all their inquiries.
She described the capital as not being as picturesque as they might have expected, but she found the diverse scenery intriguing and enjoyable. She emphasized that life was about experiencing different things, which could make it interesting and exciting. However, Qiao Xuan admitted that she had an advantage with her cheat and being remembered by the Emperor, which had secured her a position as a supporter of Lord Anping Manor. She acknowledged that she and Shao Yunduan would have been quite powerless in the capital without their establishment there.
Once the dishes were ready and placed on the table, Ms. Fang joined them to eat and asked some female elders to eat together as well. She then advised them to head home for the night, acknowledging that Qiao Xuan must be tired after her journey. She also mentioned that they could come back the next day to continue their discussions.
The guests understood and started to leave one by one. A few female seniors stayed behind to share a meal with them, but they also left after the meal. Ms. Fang had many questions to ask, but her main concern was about Qiao Xuan and her husband’s well-being in the capital. When she heard that they were doing well, she felt reassured and told Qiao Xuan to rest for the night, promising to continue their conversation the next day.
She even said, “You must have had a long journey. You don’t have to get up so early tomorrow. You can sleep until noon!”
When they reached home, Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief. She felt so tired that she could not stand it any more. She nodded with a smile and went to bed.
She was still sleeping in her and Shao Yunduan’s room.
Though neither of them was at home, Ms. Fang still cared about her children, so her and Shao Yunduan’s yard and Qi’s rooms were cleaned every few days, and the windows were opened for ventilation. When they came back, they would only need to put the bedroll up so they could sleep.
All clean!
Qiao Xuan could not help but feel moved – Mother-in-law and the others were so nice.
The following day, Qiao Xuan did not get up at noon. She got up around nine o’clock, already.
The main cause was that she felt relaxed and happy when she was back, and she was thinking about her flowers, plants and various fruit trees.
When she woke up, the family had already done what they needed to do, and they had already eaten breakfast, so they saved one portion for her.
They ate porridge and steamed buns this morning. The steamed buns had three fillings, namely smoked meat diced with fried plums, fresh mushrooms and shrimps, chives, egg and tofu diced. The smoked meat and plums were also added with chili, which tasted delicious and spicy, especially energetic.
Qiao Xuan was very satisfied by the taste. She drank half bowl of porridge and ate two smoked meat buns as well.
Ms. Fang smiled. “Your Third Brother has gone into the town to buy meat, and I asked him to buy some pork and mutton for stewing at night. It would taste so good!”
Qiao Xuan nodded and thanked her with a smile. “Thanks, mom, I know you treat me the best! I can stew them with fresh mushrooms and bamboo shoots, just thinking about it makes me drool!”