Chapter 14

Shopkeeper Lu's face darkened as she looked at the Tian family.

"When she came to town, she was half-dead. It was I, Lu Sanniang, who spent a lot of silver to save her life. Now that she is working for me,

she rarely says a word, and I have never seen her talk to anyone about her past. Don't you go looking for trouble in my shop without any reason. Go back to the village and ask those long-tongued women in your village.

Do you think this is some secret? If you come to my shop again and throw mud at my people like you did today, watch out, or I'll make you regret it."

Tian Li Shi's temper flared up instantly. She wasn't afraid of Shopkeeper Lu; she immediately put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest like a fighting rooster.

"Bah! What business is it of yours if I discipline my daughter-in-law?"

"Cut the crap! The separation document was written over a month ago; who is your daughter-in-law? You really have no shame, acting all high and mighty here. Who is Qiao Mai? She is my embroidery lady, bought with my money. Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Bah! Don't think that just because you run a small shop in town, I'm afraid of you. My son is studying in town and will be a high official in the future. Be careful, if you provoke me, I'll have you thrown in jail."

Shopkeeper Lu put one hand on her hip and held a handkerchief in the other, pointing at Tian Li Shi.

"He's only been studying for two years and isn't even a child scholar yet. What are you showing off for? You can only act tough in your village. It's not like there are no scholars in town; there are even provincial graduates. What the hell is your grandson? Watch out, if he fails the exam, you'll have no face left."

For every insult Tian Li Shi hurled, Shopkeeper Lu gave her ten back. After all, she was a village shrew; when she couldn't win the argument, she sat on the ground and started acting shamelessly.

Lu Sanniang stood at the entrance of her shop and unleashed her "lion's roar."

"Who can run an errand and report this to the Town Mayor's house, saying someone is causing trouble in my shop and asking him to come over?"

"I will, I'll go!"

Someone raised their hand and took off running. Tian Li Shi on the ground was too scared to cry anymore, but since the scene had already been made, how could she get up without a way out?

Tian Li Shi secretly glanced at Old Tian Head, using her eyes to ask the head of the family.

Old Tian Head knew they were in the wrong. The matter of torturing Qiao Mai was known not only in their village but even in the neighboring villages. It was possible that Qiao Mai's natal family knew about it too; this matter had actually spread long ago.

They came to cause trouble because they wanted to see if Qiao Mai was valued here at Shopkeeper Lu's.

They came to probe the situation, thinking that since Qiao Mai might have a monthly wage and could learn a skill, and since she used to like Third Son quite a bit, it would be best if they could coax her back. That way, there would be someone to work at home, and they could have an extra source of income.

It was just too stressful to support a scholar; they wouldn't let go of any opportunity.

Unfortunately, Shopkeeper Lu blocked them at the door and didn't speak nicely, which led to Tian Li Shi clashing with Lu Sanniang.

Seeing that someone had gone to invite the Town Mayor, Old Tian Head shouted at Tian Li Shi.

"What are you making a scene for? Get up, you embarrassing thing."

Tian Li Shi then used this as an excuse to stand up, standing to the side with an appearance of fearing her husband.

Old Tian Head cupped his hands at Shopkeeper Lu, "I'm sorry, my old wife was confused."

"Hmph."

"My wife and I came here to verify things with the Qiao woman. After all, my eldest grandson is studying, and I don't want this matter to affect his future."

"If you don't want that, then accumulate more virtue. You tortured someone else's daughter; she was raised by her parents, not by you, and certainly not bought with your money."

"Yes, yes, it's my fault for not teaching my old wife well enough."

Shopkeeper Lu was knowledgeable and experienced; she could see that the couple were two of a kind, both looking mean-spirited.

Not to mention anything else, they were already separated, yet they still came to look for trouble; that was just shameless.

If you really had the ability, you would go to the government office to sue. Any fool could see the intention of coming here.

They still thought Qiao Mai was the same easy-to-manipulate person as before, thinking that if they scared her a little and gave her a sweet, she would go back.

Through her observation of Qiao Mai over the past two days, she found that Qiao Mai was a person with strong opinions and would never be coaxed back by their few words.

Sure enough, while Shopkeeper Lu was standing up for Qiao Mai, Qiao Mai ignored the Tian family entirely, calmly stretching the fabric there, finishing the last step of the palace fan.

From this point, she could see that Qiao Mai had long since given up on the Tian family and would never go back.

That was why there was the argument just now. Lu Sanniang had been in town for many years and was not someone to be trifled with; she was capable and sharp-tongued, and most importantly, she wasn't short on money.

If it came to a lawsuit, as long as she wanted to win, even if she were in the wrong, if the money was there, the other party wouldn't have a good ending either.

So what if you are a scholar, farmer, artisan, or merchant? You think ranking farmers second elevates them? But who doesn't know that penniless, powerless mud-legged people are the lowest level of society?

Don't look down on merchants; at the very least, merchants have money in their hands, and their lives are better than those of the mud-legged people.

Money makes the world go round; without silver, even officials are looked down upon.

Old Tian Head knew this well, so he didn't dare let his old wife make a scene with Shopkeeper Lu. After saying a few soft words, Old Tian Head was about to take Tian Li Shi away.

After Qiao Mai finished her embroidery, she put the palace fan into an exquisite wooden box and then shouted at Old Tian Head, who was about to leave.

"Wait."

At this time, the townspeople were surrounding them in a sea of people. She calmly walked to the shop entrance and looked down at the Old Tian family.

"This is the first time, and it is the last time. What I promised you, I will definitely do. Also, since I, Qiao Mai, have left the Tian family, I will never go back.

If you find excuses to cause trouble again in the future, we will see each other in court. Anyway, there is no relationship between us anymore. If I sue you, I won't be the one getting beaten. I believe you won't be that stupid."

Old Tian Head and Tian Li Shi snorted coldly after hearing this and turned to leave. They didn't expect that the Town Mayor wouldn't come, but instead, Qiao Mai's biological parents would arrive. This was truly a coincidence.

She knew that sooner or later she would have to face them. This matter had long since spread to Lihua Village. Now that they were finally looking for her, it was likely the Qiao family had observed for a long time before making up their minds.

In the evil feudal era, regardless of whether a woman was cast aside or separated, her reputation would be bad.

Some natal families would cut ties with their daughters upon hearing this, and some would simply refuse to see them. If Qiao Mai's body had allowed it at the time, she really would have returned to her natal family; if she could cut ties, she would, once and for all.

Shopkeeper Lu didn't expect the Qiao woman's in-laws and natal family to arrive one after another.

"Sister?"

"Sister Lu, just watch the show from the back; I can handle it."

A couple squeezed through the crowd. The man was named Qiao Shicheng, not very tall; the woman was Qiao Lvshi, thin and weak, around forty years old, her back already somewhat hunched, her clothes covered in patches, her face haggard, with a bamboo basket on her back.

Seeing Qiao Mai, neither could believe this was their daughter.

Qiao Lvshi stared at Qiao Mai, her eyes hesitant, her lips trembling as she tentatively called out.

"Mai?"

Seeing this couple, memories flooded Qiao Mai's mind like a broken dam. The bits and pieces of the original host's life in her natal family seemed to replay before her eyes.

She stared at them and asked coldly.

"Something the matter?"

Tears streamed down Qiao Lvshi's face, "Are you really my Mai?"

"Mai? No, I am not your Mai. I am the money-losing goods, the cheap girl from the Qiao family in Lihua Village."

Just as Qiao Lvshi was about to speak, Qiao Shicheng, who was beside her, stepped forward and tried to hit Qiao Mai, but Qiao Mai dodged to the side. He was so angry that he pointed at Qiao Mai and cursed.

"You shameless bitch! Once married, you should be serving your husband and teaching your children in your in-laws' house. Who gave you the guts to ask the Tian family for a separation document? Huh? Since you are married, you are a person of the Tian family in life and a ghost of the Tian family in death. You shameless thing, you've truly disgraced my Qiao family."

Qiao Mai suddenly felt relieved. No wonder the original host had no hatred at all. It turned out that girls raised in such a family were taught to live and die for their in-laws. What kind of dog-shit things were they teaching?

Babies, I will update first. Once my mother recovers from her illness and is discharged from the hospital, I will proofread properly.

(End of chapter)