Chapter 225: From Top to Bottom, Not Simple

Jin Mama found the little apprentice increasingly delightful, lifted her up directly, and since she missed class on the first day, it just passed that way.

Qiao Mai, upon learning this, couldn't help but burst out laughing, believing that before long, under this little glutton's guidance, Jin Mama would quickly become a big glutton herself.

The Qiao Ji Snack Shop now has dozens of varieties; how could anyone possibly taste them all at once? It's only just begun.

Regarding teaching, Qiao Mai never meddles nor inquires; everything follows Jin Mama, and she only watches the results.

Jin Mama arrived too late, and the steward hadn't prepared New Year clothes for her.

Qiao Mai noted Jin Mama's figure, bought her two sets of new‑style clothes and matching boots from the Platform, and asked Yuehong to fetch them and deliver them over.

Having been here only two days, Jin Mama already felt the uniqueness of this household and its members.

The matriarch need not be mentioned; being taken in as her granddaughter and cared for with such meticulousness could not be any simpler.

She runs the household so tightly that the servants scramble for work, and the servants are united; such a family is truly rare.

"Sigh, you also think it's not easy."

Seeing the daughter's family feasting and drinking, even letting those children eat and drink for free, and hearing they even handed out some rewards—my goodness, those are fine provisions—just given away for free, Qiao Shicheng and his wife could no longer bear it.

"I think living in anyone's house is inconvenient; I want to buy a place and live alone, but a few sisters‑in‑law keep pulling me, urging me to go to their home. Frankly, if they were sincere, I wouldn't turn them down. After staying in the palace so long, I can spot good or bad at a glance; it's only for that little thing I have in my hand."

"I've been in the palace for decades, amassed some family records; when I returned home, my parents were already gone, and my three older brothers have each set up their own families."

The Yuan family elders also came over to see if there was any benefit to be had; seeing them like this, they thought they could also make a bit of something.

This family's most striking feeling for her is warmth.

"The matriarch said that, and I was being meddlesome."

"Mm, mm, you came to the right place; stay here nicely."

She felt her choice was right; this family is not simple, from top to bottom not simple, and thus her heart settled.

Even Qiao Mai, Yuan Jiaqi, and Old Tai Fu were not empty‑handed; they gave her many gifts.

Thus the four elders knelt at the main gate, thinking that hearing an elder kneel would soften hearts, and they could snatch a few taels of silver for the New Year.

Yuan Jiaqi returned on the morning of the twenty‑nine; after arranging matters at the Yamen and the residence, he rushed home with six guards.

Old Tai Fu felt that if she were to live in the Qiao family for a lifetime, some matters needed clarification to avoid misunderstandings, so she revealed the two of their backgrounds.

On the thirtieth, every household set off firecrackers and hung couplets to welcome the New Year.

The elderly couple of the Qiao family came again to Jixiang Yuan to add to the trouble; they knelt at the main gate, wailing and shouting, drawing not only onlookers but also the elderly couple of the Yuan family to join in their cries.

"Women truly have it hard; only when they die will they stop being remembered; otherwise it goes on endlessly."

She made an appointment with Ling'er that after the New Year they would begin studying; before the year ends, she will try to spend as much time with Ling'er as possible, getting to know each other and becoming familiar, so that later she can teach her more conveniently.

When he saw only Old Tai Fu there, he was stunned; asking the reason, he was both amused and exasperated—the matriarch becomes more childlike with age, having stayed in Fucheng only a few days before rushing back over Qiao Mai's matter, haha!

Knowing Ling'er had a female master made him happy, but because he is a man, he never met this Jin Mama.

Old Tai Fu glanced at her and saw deep melancholy in her eyes.

"An upright official finds it hard to settle family matters; by law, a severance is a severance, but in reality, they are still their parents— which parent doesn't hope for their child's well‑being? That's how it is, causing constant trouble: one does it for his own mouth, the other for his family's two sons."

"Exactly, so stay out of her family's affairs, don't say anything outwardly, just focus on teaching Ling'er properly."

"Yes, the first time she sold to the Qiao family she earned a hundred catties of grain, and at that point she no longer owed the Qiao family. The second time, after she fled the Tian family, she still owed Shopkeeper Lu a lot of money; her health hadn't recovered, and her parents tried to find another household to sell her to. She clenched her teeth and borrowed silver from Shopkeeper Lu to sever the family tie; her parents didn't even blink, took the silver, signed the Divorce Document, but not long after they began troubling her again."

"This couple is truly unlucky to encounter such elders."

The house is warm, hearts are warm; speech and deeds are all tinged with warmth.

Qiao Mai and Yuan Jiaqi don't care about reputation; if they did, after so many quarrels they would have already compromised.

At noon, Qiao Mai had the kitchen prepare two large tables of exquisite dishes: one to welcome Yuan Jiaqi's return, another to greet Jin Mama's arrival, and a third to celebrate Ling'er's new master.

"Since you left the palace and returned home, have you also run into unpleasant things?"

Jin Mama nodded, wiping her reddened eyes with a handkerchief.

The Yuan family isn't short of money or grain; what they lack is the Qiao family. This year there were no disasters or hardships, and no one provided aid, so when the New Year arrived they were terribly strained.

Jin Mama, upon hearing this, thought something was amiss, but she didn't tell anyone else, only mentioned it in passing to Old Tai Fu.

This is the rolling‑knife meat trick; without Qiao Mai stepping in, the town mayor sent guards to capture all four at once, immediately sending them to the Yamen and throwing them into Prison.

"Of course, she looks at Ling'er as if she were a pupil; she can entrust Ling'er to you with confidence, showing she values you, so you must teach her well."

"My three brothers' looks show no trace of affection; I can't get along with such relatives, so I inquired at the Yahang, looking for a good family. I'd rather teach someone else's child than return home to face their attitudes."

The Feng Yunchuan three brothers only now came to pay their respects to Jin Mama, also presenting gifts; they all hope the master will treat the sister well and pass all his lifelong learning to his only sister.

"Yes, but she treats them as already gone; if you give her sincere effort, she will regard you as family."

Upon entering the house and changing clothes, she went to Old Tai Fu and the old master to pay her respects.

"I've also seen it; Madam Qiao is capable, following her is certainly the right choice."

"So whose house are you staying in?"

"Madam Qiao truly has it hard; after a woman marries and undergoes a divorce by mutual consent, her natal family can no longer have a say in her personal affairs."

This time they didn't even knock, just knelt at the main gate; if you don't accept, we, as your parents, will kneel for you— you handle it as you see fit.

Jin Mama was shocked: "Heaven! For silver, grinding a biological son, a harsh daughter‑in‑law to death, then selling the son for profit— truly ruthless!"

The inside isn't short of food and drink, can save the family a bit, just a little poorer than home; winter is better than summer, and there's no spoiled food.

"I also like that Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl—she's especially clever, and I heard several of the household's children aren't her biological ones?"

"Yes, even so, Yuan Jiaqi didn't treat them poorly; when severing ties he gave a hundred taels of silver—you know, the village's elder pension is only about one or two taels a year, so that hundred taels would never be spent in a lifetime. Moreover, the two Yuan elders and their four sons split the inheritance, receiving over a hundred taels; there's no need for this commotion—they deserve it."

Because the New Year is approaching, she hasn't started teaching Ling'er.

"Thank the matriarch for the reminder."

However, Zhu Xianling of Yi County was startled upon hearing this.

"My goodness, this Yuan County Magistrate is truly ruthless, sending his own parents to Prison, haha— this will be the talk of the townsfolk at dinner tables."

His senior brother muttered a few words in his ear, and Zhu Xianling rolled his eyes.

(End of chapter)