Chapter 200: Can't Be Happy

This year she didn't give any fruits or vegetables, but prepared a set of Sleepwear for the old lady, a cotton‑woven scarf, and a pair of gloves, bright in color and with flowers on them.

She prepared the same items for Yuan Jiaqi and the old master, but in very dark colors.

She prepared cute little animal designs for the boy and the girl, with beautiful colors that are irresistible.

She prepared a high‑end custom diamond hairpin for Ruyi, especially beautiful and sparkling.

For Mayor Qian, she prepared a basket of sea crabs and dried goods such as kelp.

Things like sausage are sold in every shop, so they're not special, and she didn't give him any.

As for the Lu family, after thinking she still prepared something; Lu Sanniang can't do anything, so she gave her fruit, vegetables, sausage, and cured meat.

For Prefect Wang, she also sent seafood products, so that Shopkeeper Niu wouldn't worry about being unable to sell them.

In fact, there are many southerners living in Beifang; the seafood is delicious, the taste is truly good, and northerners surely love it too.

There are people who buy seafood at Qiao Ji Snack Puzi, but other goods sell faster.

The cultivated land lies by the River, making irrigation convenient, and the three families are all busy in the fields.

He didn't feel any chill at all; the old master also imitated her and tried it all.

Tianyi was warm, and Qiao Mai began to have the household maid pickle some chicken eggs and Quail Eggs daily, and also pickle some salted vegetables.

The old lady was very happy after receiving the gifts; that night she tried on the Sleepwear and found it truly comfortable and warm, put on the scarf and gloves, ignored Momo's admonition, and actually walked around outside the door.

The sun shone brightly, and the Qiao family's children no longer had classes; with nothing to do they rode Ma'er back and forth around the house, Ling'er joined in playing, overjoyed.

Panicked, Wang Zongsheng came with his wife and children to fetch them himself; relatives and friends came to the house to visit the elder, but when they arrived no one was there, which was absurd.

"Are overseas goods really this good?"

Mayor Qian sent her various pastries from the Qian Family Dim Sum Puzi, sending a lot of them.

The year still had to pass, but everyone's spirits were low; apart from the few big households in Town, many people began secretly stockpiling grain.

No one knows whether the coming disaster will be a flood or a drought; everyone is very worried.

The children happily changed into Sleepwear at night and ran around.

When the New Year arrives, the Qiao family's Zhou Peng is set up to aid those who cannot get a meal.

Especially the grain; in the two empty courtyards, the houses are stocked with white rice and various crops.

What pleased Qiao Mai was that the children's hearts were good; when they saw the children of poor families, they would share some of what they bought.

The Qiao family is kind, and is famous throughout the ten‑mile radius.

Having the Qiao family as a good host, they had a decent year last year.

I've heard that such hair ornaments cost several thousand taels each, even up to ten thousand taels; they are the coveted accessories of Jingcheng's young ladies and noblewomen, hard to obtain.

When encountering beggars, they would give them a few copper coins.

"Exactly, looking at other people's stuff, why is it so good?"

Qiao Mai sighed, and sent the return gifts one by one; the Lu family also received some.

In previous years, on the twentieth day of the twelfth month, each family would bring the New Year goods.

Not only Qiao Mai felt something was off; everyone realized it.

After Ruyi received that hair ornament, she wore it in her hair, looking stunningly beautiful; she knew how precious it was.

She also took a bottle of Zihan's medicine for him.

Although the year's harvest wasn't great, business was still decent.

The old master's eyes flickered, thinking to himself, "Hmph, overseas nonsense, maybe it's a celestial item."

The two elders were extremely delighted; Yuan Jiaqi touched the Sleepwear and scarf, his mouth stretched to his ears.

The March sky is like April; at noon, even a thin jacket makes you sweat. See how abnormal the weather is?

The old lady and they returned on the second day of the second month; because relatives came from there, they were delayed a few days.

This year is similar to previous years, except the weather is wonderful, like spring; Qiao Mai allowed the children to ride Ma'er outside to play.

When they returned, the house became lively; the old master and old lady, once idle, took the children out for a spring outing, so the children appeared in front of the townsfolk more often.

She won't change just because Lu Sanniang changed; she will change along, but she is still Qiao Mai. As long as there's no real fallout, the road ahead still must be continued.

In short, the gifts Qiao Mai sent made every family happy, except Lu Sanniang, who couldn't feel joy.

Madam Wang, every time she meets Qiao Mai, says a heap of words of gratitude.

She, stuck in the middle, the eldest daughter is too willful, hurting Qiao Mai's feelings; how can she feel comfortable accepting the Qiao family's New Year gifts, and then taking things from Qiao Mai for free, as if the silver were free?

It wasn't until Qiao Mai sent the New Year gifts that she hurriedly prepared return gifts to be sent over; she herself felt embarrassed and thought she had no face to go.

It wasn't until the fifteenth day of the first month that the Small Town returned to normal, but the weather left people both happy and worried.

Before leaving, Qiao Mai slipped an Exquisite box into Madam Wang's hands for her to look at later.

Qiao Mai didn't care about them; she did whatever she wanted, as long as she was happy.

The children rode Ma'er past them, and the street vendors, seeing them, raised their shouts even louder.

Ruyi, the Qin Family, and Shopkeeper Tong all sent her New Year gifts early, but Lu Sanniang's side remained silent.

The joyful laughter of the children could be heard from outside.

The weather outside was unbelievably fine; the whole winter up to now had only that first light snow, and no more snow was seen.

People kept their usual routines; the sixty mu of land behind the Qiao family, once spring arrived, the tenant farmers began working the fields.

Each of them had money in their pockets, buying whatever they liked.

Winter chicken eggs and Quail Eggs sold very well; once placed in the shop they were sold out quickly.

There were many merchants in the Small Town hoping to earn some money during the New Year.

Fortunately, last year's flood seeped a lot of water into the fields, so a drought was not yet apparent, and the surrounding River Water had not receded.

Sometimes when she saw Ling'er and the master's hair adorned with that, she was jealous; now she has it herself, how could she not be happy?

Being well prepared, having contingencies, is certainly the right thing.

They said they'd give a dividend, and indeed they did; 100,000 taels is 20% of the Wang Family's business, Jiaru's side gets 150,000 taels, and half of that is 250,000 taels. The Wang Family can earn that much in a year—quite good.

This year, the Wang Family also gave something; there was no New Year gift. Knowing the Qiao Family eats better than the Wang Family, they sent the Steward himself with a silver note for 100,000 taels.

People in the Town rarely see children from her family; when this one appeared, it immediately became the highlight.

Some were even digging pits in their own Yuanzi; when there was nothing to do they would pour water into them, trying to store some water.

Seeing him again this time felt much better than the last; not only was he more obedient and sensible, but his eyes were no longer dull—they became lively.

The three‑member family forcibly dragged the two elders back.

With two elders gone and also the servant girl by their side, the house became far too quiet at once.

This year the old lady and the old master don't plan to return to Fucheng; they will spend the New Year at the Qiao Family.

She occasionally goes to the vegetable field behind to look around, following the women to pick some vegetables. After the old lady returns to Fucheng, she still helps the women feed the poultry.

The boy is handsome and dashing; the girl is delicate as carved jade. Though their clothes aren't the finest, they still look very respectable.

She is not doing it for her own family, but in case something happens, these can be provided to disaster victims.

The two pairs of old folk from the Yuan Family and the Qiao Family, since the Niu Shopkeeper drove them away and forbade them from sitting outside the shop, have moved their camp.

They ran over to the opposite side; when they came they even brought a stool. They sit here for an entire day, as if just to keep watch on the Qiao Family.

When they saw Ling'er, that big‑mouthed elder, especially the Qiao Family members, felt as if they had seen Tian Sanzhuang.

They are certain this is definitely Tian Sanzhuang's own daughter, definitely his flesh and blood.

(End of Chapter)