Chapter 234: Wouldn

Lu San Niang knows Qiao Mai's nature; she doesn't hand things out lightly, but when she does, it's something good. She opened the gift box before Qiao Mai and cried when she saw what was inside!

"So precious, I'll never be able to repay your kindness in this lifetime."

"If you truly consider me a friend, any sentiment belongs to friendship; if you don't treat me as a friend, the word 'sentiment' will never be repaid. Take it, I still have to give a gift to your man—he's been eyeing my things, and if I don't give him, he might not even be able to sleep."

Qiao Mai gently patted her hand, turned and left, and Lu San Niang, clutching the box, cried even harder.

Mayor Qian, after receiving Qiao Mai's gift, was as happy as a child.

"According to your method, after eating for half a year one can become pregnant?"

"Hmm, better to be betrothed; after half a year we can share a bed!"

Mayor Qian's face turned terribly sour; marrying a wife but not being allowed to share a bed—won't that make him suffocate to death? Yet, to have a son and a daughter with her, he must endure the suffocation.

Receiving this gift brings both pain and joy.

Meanwhile, the Liu Family and the Dong Family of Tianhe Town, after the matchmaker's arrangement, were also nearly done; the betrothal was set for March 16, and Liu Qiaoshi, because of this marriage, went personally to Jixiang Yuan to find her.

After the busy work, it was about mid‑March; they heard the marriage arrangements went smoothly, and both families were quite satisfied.

Until the later items—grapes, strawberries, cherries, honey melons, sweet melons, watermelons, bananas, peaches—were loaded out in basket after basket.

She left tactfully, and Qiao Mai also didn't give (anything).

Shopkeeper Niu chuckled, "Master, you just go ahead."

"Hmm, although the five fingers aren't perfectly aligned, they should be roughly the same."

"Ah, exactly, haha!"

Their son only came over to see them; when the child brought the meal, seeing another bowl of porridge, he got angry on the spot.

Shopkeeper Niu wiped his eyes; he actually cried, huh.

"If I don't come, can I go deliver her at the wedding?"

"You gave Liu Ye so much, what about the maiden?"

"Let's talk after they have a shop."

"But the lively scene is worth watching; I guess my shop's business is good today, I'll go get some fresh goods in a bit."

If Qiao Mai knows they think like that, she'll definitely stop them; life's boring, come find something to do!

March 28, Tianshui Town was bustling; firecrackers early in the morning woke the sleeping people.

So they let the newcomer answer him, letting him release the people.

That day, the sun shone brightly, and the Dong Family came to propose marriage!

After the New Year, Liu Qiaoshi went to Yahang to buy a house—a three‑room residence about seventy percent new. Because of Liu Ye's marriage, she even hired people to remodel it again, and the furniture inside is all new.

"Later, go check the shop yourself, okay?"

Shopkeeper Niu brought ten workers over, leaving a few people to watch the shop.

The old master took Fengyun to Fucheng for the imperial exam, leaving only Qiao Mai, the old lady, Jin Mama, Ling'er, and Chuan'er in Jixiang Yuan.

"Fine, that's perfect, what about your husband?"

Because this shop is so famous, people come from far away; they have to see it and buy something to bring back.

"The County Magistrate knows we have that connection with the Qiao Family, so he doesn't dare to mistreat us. Look, we've all put on weight."

Three months of prison life indeed made them gain weight; they ate and slept every day, slept and ate, and did no work.

"Is Liu Hai and his group willing?"

"It's not a very precious jade; she's marrying into the town, not the village, so she can wear it."

"Aunt, if you have something, just say it."

After setting a date, Liu Qiaoshi came again to report to Qiao Mai.

The engagement ceremony was set for the first day of the sixth month, and the wedding for the nineteenth day of the tenth month, both auspicious dates.

They ate breakfast together, talking about Mayor Qian's family.

"Oh? Anything new, give us some too?"

Just then Liu Qiaoshi arrived, so she didn't need to make another trip; she took a box from one side and handed it to her.

"There's no pickles, so we eat it dry; not eating makes us hungry, eating makes us want to vomit, it's unbearably painful."

"Ah, aunt, thank you on behalf of Yezi!"

"Alright then, Liu Qiaoshi smiled broadly, 'Okay, Aunt, I won't bother you; you be busy.'"

"Don't be greedy, this is what I gave her!"

Indeed, Zhu Xianling sent someone to ask her, to see whether to place those few elders from the Yuan Family and the Qiao Family.

Not to mention, the mayor's marriage actually made the Qiao Ji Snack Puzi a hit; everyone who came wanted to look inside the shop.

"We won't go then; there are too many people, you go instead!"

Hehe, Liu Qiaoshi laughed, took it and said, "Oh my mother, this is too precious; she could never take it out in her lifetime."

Some idle elderly, long unseen, ran over to tease them.

They've not only gotten fat, but also turned pale; the prison never sees sunlight.

"Are you used to living in prison?"

Not only Tianshui Town, but also the mayors of Tianhe Town and Tiannan Town, Zhu Xianling, and even Mayor Qian's friends and relatives all flocked to Tianshui Town.

After the meal, Qiao Mai sent someone to summon Shopkeeper Niu, telling him to bring people to move things in the backyard.

"Besides, I bought Yezi a shop in Tianhe Town, plus a courtyard house; I told her that if she's bullied by the Dong Family, she can move there alone."

"He won't come; he's a court official, not suitable to get involved, it would affect his reputation."

"What's the problem? This town's marriage is already a generous dowry; what about the other place?"

"Mai Mai, I prepared twenty dowries for your cousin; does that work?"

"Ai, ai!"

Holding the silver she kept at the bottom of her chest, she ran straight to the Town, bought a few buns, and sat opposite Jixiang Yuan to eat.

"Ah, it's been such a long time since I saw you all, where have you been?"

Watching the workers go in, a basket of bright red big apples was brought out, Shopkeeper Niu swallowed saliva, a basket of yellow‑orange pears, he still couldn't hold back.

"Thirty-load!"

"When you set the date, let me know."

Everyone knows today is the Mayor's great happy day; after breakfast, people surged toward the Mayor's Zhai.

"Alright, then you can come too."

"Of course," the aunt and niece exchanged a smile.

Qiao Mai thought that she had nothing to do lately, so perhaps she could let them go; she could watch them chat across the house, see them brag, and find something for them, otherwise she'd be too bored.

"Pah, none of your business!"

"Hmm, too chaotic, it's better to stay at home."

"Grandmother, Jin Mama, shall we go drink wedding wine later?"

"When Yezi's betrothal is set, will you come?"

The two elders of the Yuan Family and the two elders of the Qiao Family returned home, sat on the kang and wept loudly, having eaten the steamed buns for a full three months.

"Isn't that exactly what I'm thinking—see which Town she's closer to, then arrange a house and shop for her; we can't shortchange the big lady."

"Mai Mai?"

"This is the extra makeup I gave Yezi, keep it!"

"Hmm, quite good."

"Hehe, got it. So, I came just to ask—those three recipes you taught my family, can I teach them to my lady?"

It feels really good to be back; now they are basking in the sun, eating white buns, thinking to themselves, never going to look for Qiao Mai again, just living peacefully like this.

"Then I won't go either; the gifts have already been delivered anyway."

Qiao Mai opened the warehouse door and pointed, "Move it. Sell as much as you can today; set the price, just remember not to undervalue the good stuff."

"What could he be unhappy about? He only has two younger sisters; once they're settled, the rest is his. He has no objection; I asked him too."

Master, where did these delicious fruits come from? Huh? Incredible—he really admires Master, always able to seize every money‑making opportunity.

Finally there were some rare nuts, like butter‑coated small walnuts, roasted watermelon seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted cashews, roasted pistachios, etc.; it took three or four trips to finish moving them.

It seems Master has also prepared abundantly for the Qian Family's Wang Jiaru's Wedding.

Yeah, if we don't attend Wang Jiaru's Wedding, can't we at least sell something?

(End of Chapter)