Chapter 174: Better to be shattered like jade than to survive as a broken tile

"He gave most of the silver he coveted to the higher-ups, right?"

"Yes, but his greed isn't that great; with your uncle watching over him it's a bit better. In other places the County Magistrate is greedy, the Prefect is greedy, and many common folk suffer terribly."

"Hmph, a bunch of parasites; the Emperor sits high above, can't see this, and even shields his own son. A court like this will rot sooner or later."

"Shh, don't speak recklessly; we just keep it in our hearts. Otherwise why would Zongsheng not want to return to the capital? Let's just stay here. Our Wang Family doesn't seek great fortune or honor; a peaceful family is enough."

"What if the Main Family retaliates against you?"

"They wouldn't dare; we have leverage over them. If they dare act because we didn't give silver, we're not easy to handle—at worst we'll go down together."

"Heh, I think the same—better to be shattered like jade than to survive as a broken tile."

"Look at this heavy snowfall; I'm afraid there will be more disasters this year."

"Hmm, I'll prepare in advance. Our house's foundation is high and the footings are deep, built to withstand floods and earthquakes. The ring beams are extremely sturdy; unless a cataclysm that destroys heaven and earth occurs, nothing can ruin it."

"Do we have any token?"

"You and your husband can stay safely at my home; no need to go anywhere. If my house isn't reliable, Weicheng would be even worse."

Qiao Mai put the letter in her bosom, got onto the horse, and followed the carriage, leaving Tianshui Town.

"Do you still have the medicine you gave Zihan last time?"

"You're hurrying the carriage, this way, this way!"

The next day, they brought Dongzao out of the space; this time it seemed to have grown taller and sturdier.

"It's only been such a short time, and it's already pregnant—so delightful."

Qiao Mai nodded, and tucked the letter and Memorial into her bosom.

Days passed one by one; the Qiao Family's servants rested for a full month, and everyone gained a round of weight.

"Sister, get off the carriage quickly and let them come."

"I told you, why did building a house cost so much silver?"

With Dongzao's pace, the journey should have taken only three days, but she helped the common folk along the way, and only reached the North Gate of the capital on the sixth day.

"I can't eat!"

"Quick, have someone unload the carriage; they're all sweet‑and‑sour fruits, guaranteed you'll love them."

"We got them before the year began; it's been constant blizzard over there, so we couldn't come to deliver them to you."

Along the way she met disaster‑stricken refugees fleeing south; she had no time to buy provisions, but whenever she met a family she'd drop twenty taels of silver, letting them fend for themselves.

"Please wait a moment!"

"I'll bring it to you in a moment."

They fitted a saddle onto Dongzao, led it to the Front Courtyard, and the elderly lady gave the several boxes Qiao Mai had given her years ago to Zihan to take away.

"Ah, you even brought a mirror for me?"

One walking, one dragging, like two happy rivals, arrived at the courtyard gate; Qiao Mai saw Jiaru, who had become very thin.

There were also two dressing mirrors and six vanity mirrors.

Mrs. Wang, unable to mind the cold, brought Zihan and came to Jixiang Yuan.

The Steward personally opened the side door; Qiao Mai hurried the carriage into Wangfu and went straight to the Zijing Yuan where Ru'er lives.

Qiao Mai sat in the carriage and shouted loudly inside.

Because she became this spendthrift lady, she didn't reach the capital that quickly.

"Got it, got it, hurry, sister's here, I have something tasty."

"Ah, why did it turn out like this?"

"It's not that the road is blocked by continuous snow; don't try to match her."

"Madam, I have come to pay my respects to you."

That same day, she arranged the household matters.

"I heard my sister is pregnant; she wants something sour, so I sent it to her."

Presumably Prefect Wang asked the lady to come over for that reason; he felt that no one delivering a Memorial was as appropriate as Qiao Niang.

Her body hair is dense and heavy, fully able to fend off the northern cold.

The carriage already had two baskets of orange‑yellow sour apricots, two baskets of bayberries, two baskets of plums, and some other common fruits.

The two sisters hand‑in‑hand entered the Keting, ignoring the Little Prince as if he were invisible; he trailed behind them resentfully.

The weather in the south is also very cold; this year's rainfall is heavy, and across the Ming Empire temperatures are generally lower than in previous years.

"Excuse me, everyone, I am the sister‑in‑law of your Princess, bringing her family's letter from Weicheng."

She moved the carriage out of the space and fitted a saddle onto Dongzao.

The Wang Jiaru's Servant Girls hurried to serve tea, "You're hungry, right? I'll have someone bring the rice right away!"

A guard ran in, and shortly after the Steward emerged; upon seeing Qiao Mai, he immediately greeted her and even bowed.

"You mustn't run; take care of yourself!"

Wang Zongsheng, after learning of the disaster, promptly submitted a Memorial, requesting the court to reduce the grain tax on the Weicheng populace.

After checking and finding nothing amiss, he then hurried the carriage into the capital.

The accumulated snow in the fields hasn't moved a hair, not even a sign of melting; it's almost February, truly about to drive the common folk to despair.

"Zihan and I will stay here for one night; shall we leave together tomorrow morning?"

The old fox guessed correctly; upon hearing Ru'er, who is pregnant, wants something sour, Qiao Mai would certainly offer to deliver it herself, so this letter and Memorial will surely reach Ru'er's hands.

"Alright, I'll gladly see you off."

"Don't worry, Grandmother isn't going anywhere; she'll enjoy her blessings right here with you."

"Ru'er, sister has come to see you!"

But the Memorial sent up has yet to receive a reply; Wang Zongsheng can't help feeling a bit anxious, and just then good news arrived from the capital's Wangfu.

Jiaru, upon hearing the sound, jumped up with joy, and the Little Prince, startled, quickly grabbed her.

The old lady and the Prince's Wife both wrote letters, entrusting Qiao Mai to deliver them to Ru'er.

Along the way, the Prince's Wife talked to Qiao Mai for a good while at the car window, all of it reminding her of things, and Qiao Mai kept nodding in agreement.

If the seeds are all frozen dead, we can only turn the soil and sow once more, so this year we'll probably only be able to grow one season of grain.

After reading the letter Ru'er gave her, Qiao Mai pursed her lips, "When you think of food, you think of me; we've been back for so long, and you never sent a letter."

Arriving outside the Shun Qin Wangfu, she saw guards standing on both sides and gave them a bow.

Finally reaching Fucheng, no longer hearing the Prince's Wife chanting scriptures, she quickly said goodbye, urged the horse, whipped it, and burst out the South Gate, racing toward Jingcheng.

"No, but at the princess's wedding, I was the night guard; your steward should know me."

The Prince's Wife then took out another letter and a memorial from her bosom, "Your uncle wants to reduce the grain tax for the people of Weicheng, but the memorial submitted has received no reply; it was probably held back. This time, go to Jingcheng and give this memorial to Ru'er, have her tell the Little Prince, and place the memorial on the Dragon Desk, asking the Emperor to decide promptly."

The Prince's Wife has never seen Qiao Mai's martial skill, but she knows Qiao Niang is proficient in combat; the world is getting more chaotic, so having more people deliver things is also good.

Jiaru grabbed her hand, and Qiao Mai smiled, leapt out of the carriage, "The mirror is inside; you must handle it gently."

"It's Bu Yi Chi; I'll go prepare right away, set out early tomorrow morning, head south to look for sour fruit for her."

She told the grandparents the good news, and the two were so delighted they couldn't close their mouths.

This time Zihan didn't cling to Qiao Mai crying, didn't throw a tantrum refusing to leave, and became obedient and sensible.

At this moment the Little Prince was keeping her company, being a pest too much, and had hardly eaten anything since yesterday.

Whether in size or freshness, they are incomparable to those on the market.

They say Ru'er is pregnant, already a month and a half.

She just wants to eat sweet‑and‑sour fruit, which can't be bought in Jingcheng this season; let the Prince's Wife ask Qiao Niang to see if it can be obtained.

"Alright then, the mirror has just been obtained, I'll deliver it to her myself."

Qiao Mai didn't hold back, sipping tea while watching the servants move things into the Keting.

Jiaru stared longingly at those fruits, constantly swallowing saliva.

"Wow, so fresh, there's even frost on them—just picked?"

"Hmm, if you want to eat them just take them, no need to wash, they're all clean."

(End of chapter)