Chapter 19: A dog can't change its habit of eating feces

Qiao Mai put down her brush, and Ruxin and Ruyi stood up.

"Master, we'll go support you. If he dares to act out, we'll hit him with a broom."

Qiao Mai smiled, "That won't be necessary. He's a scholar after all, he has to save face."

So Lu Sanniang took Qiao Shi and her two daughters to the shop. When Tian Yaozu saw Qiao Shi's current appearance, his eyes flickered.

"Third Aunt!"

"I don't dare accept that. Finally, I don't have to empty your chamber pot, nor do I have to fetch your face-washing water. Whoever wants to be this Third Aunt can go ahead."

One sentence made Tian Yaozu blush deeply. "Third Aunt, I didn't ask you to do those things."

"Yes, you didn't ask me to do them, but your grandparents made me do them, and you didn't stop them, did you?"

"Third Aunt, I know about what Grandfather and Grandmother did, and they know they were wrong."

"But can my child come back to life?"

"Third Aunt, Grandmother didn't do it on purpose,"

"Just say what you mean, don't beat around the bush here."

"Third Aunt, Third Uncle is serving in the military, contributing to the imperial court. You are his wife, no matter what, you cannot divorce him. Just come home with your nephew, okay?"

Qiao Shi sneered and looked at the Tian family's eldest grandson, who was dressed like a scholar.

"So you mean, let me go back and continue to be mistreated by your family, and the fact that my child was kicked out by your grandmother should be treated as if it never happened, right?"

Her voice became very loud, once again attracting the common people in town and the people in the surrounding shops.

People gathered more and more, and Tian Yaozu was about to be enraged by shame.

"Third Aunt, nephew has already told Grandfather and Grandmother, they won't mistreat you again in the future."

"Heh, won't mistreat me? Do you know what it means when they say a dog can't change its habit of eating feces?"

"Qiao Shi, please show some respect."

"Yo, not pretending anymore? Dressed like a human but acting like a dog. 'Third Aunt'—you only call me that in front of outsiders. In your eyes, I'm just a servant of your Tian family."

"You, you village woman, truly unreasonable."

"Only studied for a few days and you're calling me a village woman? As if you aren't a village man yourself. Do you have any merit? You can read a few words and look down on farmers? Don't forget your grandparents, your father, and your mother are all village men and women. Your studies have all gone into a dog's belly."

"Well said, well said. Someone like him isn't worthy of being a scholar at all."

With the common people joining in, Tian Yaozu couldn't stay any longer. He roared in exasperation.

"Qiao Shi, don't think that just because you left the Tian family, we can't do anything to you. You're ruining my Tian family's reputation everywhere in town, I definitely won't spare you."

Qiao Mai rolled her eyes and shouted loudly.

"Everyone heard it, right? He said I'm ruining his Tian family's reputation. I, Qiao Mai, stay at home every day, stay in the shop, never going out the front door or the back door. Who has seen me gossiping with outsiders? It was that old pair from the Tian family who came to make a scene that day and spilled their own ugly business. Everyone, please testify for me. If I, Qiao Mai, have even the slightest mishap in the future, it's Tian Yaozu who hired someone to do it."

Shopkeeper Lu stepped forward. "He dares? Does he take my Lu family for a display? Even someone who isn't a child scholar dares to come out and threaten my people. He really doesn't take the law seriously. Qiao Mai is my person. If anything happens to her, I'll report you to the government office."

"Exactly, report him. What kind of scholar is he? Pfft, go back to the village and farm."

Tian Yaozu really wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into. In his mind, he had come personally, which was giving Qiao Shi great face. If she didn't know what was good for her, once he became an official, he definitely wouldn't let this woman off.

But now, he really regretted coming, and even more regretted not stopping his grandparents from coming to make a scene.

Not only was there no way to end this, but he had also implicated his own reputation.

Qiao Shi curled her lips, looking at this still-young brat.

"Go back and study your books well. Let your teacher teach you about etiquette, righteousness, and shame. Don't use the guise of a scholar to look down on others."

"Get out!"

"Get out!"

The common people's condemnation continued, and Tian Yaozu turned around and rushed out of the crowd like a madman.

Today was the most humiliating time of his life. He swore that if he caught an opportunity, he would never let Qiao Shi off.

He would tear Qiao Shi into eight pieces to vent the hatred in his heart.

With no more excitement to watch, the common people dispersed. Lu Sanniang patted Qiao Shi on the shoulder.

"Sister, sister will always support you. Today's words were so satisfying."

"Don't be happy too soon. That family is all narrow-minded. It would be bad if he bit me one day."

"I, Lu Sanniang, fear nothing. If he dares to retaliate against me, I dare to ruin his career. A piece of dog shit who relies on knowing a few words to show off, he doesn't even look at how many eyes my Lu family has."

"How many?"

"Two!"

"Haha!"

The matter of the Tian family in Taohua Village in Tianshui Town escalated again, spreading far and wide.

The teacher at the private school called Tian Yaozu to his study. If he hadn't thought highly of this student, he would have kicked him out of the school directly.

"Yaozu?"

"Teacher, please speak!"

"What your family did in this matter was indeed wrong."

"Student knows, that's why I went to invite Qiao Shi home. My grandparents also promised to treat her well in the future."

"You didn't know about her selling herself?"

"I knew."

"Then is your Tian family willing to pay off her debts for her?"

Tian Yaozu was choked by this question and didn't know how to answer. The teacher sighed.

"Think three times before you act. Your family first mistreated her, and then kicked out her child. I heard she was premature and was left to sleep in the woodshed for three days and three nights without anyone caring. Do you think it's possible for your grandparents to change just like that? Not to mention paying off her twenty taels of silver."

Tian Yaozu lowered his head, a vicious light flashing in his eyes. If it weren't for the fact that he had nowhere else to study, he would have really wanted to leave this private school. What kind of teacher was this, not helping his own student but helping an outsider speak?

"Student knows I was wrong."

"Don't go find that Qiao Shi again in the future. Focus on your studies."

"Yes, Teacher."

This matter seemed to have passed like this, and the people in Tianshui Town gradually forgot about it.

In the blink of an eye, it was May, and the weather was getting hotter. After three months of recuperation, Qiao Mai's body was getting better and better.

She insisted on exercising every day, and her former skills were gradually recovering. Now, knocking down three strong men alone was not a problem.

If it were a surprise attack, seven or eight would be possible too.

Combat skills and grappling skills seemed to have grown into her body.

She heard that ancient people knew inner strength. She didn't want to find a master, she just wanted to have a martial arts secret manual. With her comprehension, after reading it a few times, she would definitely be able to learn it.

Fortunately, there were electric batons, silent pistols, machine guns, heavy machine guns, and a small steel cannon in the space. Even if she met an expert, as long as she adapted to the situation, she could handle it.

In these three months, she had handed over five more palace fans and one screen to Shopkeeper Lu. Even Ruxin and Ruyi had produced two embroidery pieces. Although they weren't as good as Qiao Mai's, they were still sold for more than ordinary embroidery.

Just those embroidery paintings of Qiao Mai, which were innovative and refreshing, were worth money.

That screen sold for one thousand taels of silver, and one palace fan sold for five hundred taels because it was different-colored double-sided embroidery, which was rarer than ordinary ones.

The remaining four palace fans were all one hundred and fifty taels, and even Ruxin and Ruyi's pieces sold for fifty taels each, which made Lu Sanniang very happy.

"Sister, thanks to you, I've earned more in these two months than I earned in a whole year. Thank you."

"Mutual, mutual. If it weren't for you, a shopkeeper who can talk and has connections, I wouldn't have gotten so much silver."

"Hehe, now that you have silver, have you thought about what you want to do?"

"First buy a house, then register my household, then buy two mu of land to farm. I'll be content with this in this life."

"What, you're still going to farm?"

"Ah, in the eyes of outsiders, I'm a servant in your house, I don't know how to do anything. I have to farm a little to make it look like something."

"Where is there such a rich servant?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 20 =====