Chapter 264: It Is Herbivorous

No wonder it's a father‑son pair; why do all the good girls keep running over to him?

If the emperor learned that Qiao Mai is the immortal he knows, he might even insist on sending his own daughter to the Qiao family.

Days passed one by one, the weather warmed, and need I say, the illustrious Mu Junzhu is living a flavorful life at the Qiao household.

Every morning she rises early, trains her body, tidies the courtyard, and after meals heads to the warm greenhouse behind to tend the vegetable plot with the maidservants.

Her schedule is packed, and each day feels extremely fulfilling.

Qiao Mai has never summoned the princess; she discussed with the old master, and for this trip to Jingcheng to take the provincial graduate exam, the old master will lead the party. Because of the assassination incident, the eldest of the three sheep, Bai Yangyang, will accompany them as escort.

The old master laughed at Qiao Mai's arrangement, thinking a sheep more formidable than a guard?

At night, Qiao Mai sent Bai Yangyang to fetch the old master; it led him to a deserted spot, transformed in an instant, and its true form appeared, nearly scaring the old master faint.

With a single kick of its hind hoof, a tree as thick as a giant's leg was snapped clean.

The old master left happily with Bai Yangyang; the pair of red cats that usually glared at the old lady no longer incite his envy, as they now circle Bai Yangyang daily with attentiveness.

"What are they?"

Ling'er saw that the old lady couldn't answer, so she went to look for Mu Guniang.

"Hey?"

The meals, even though shared with the servants, are never the same each time; every dish is fresh. Unlike at Guogong Fu where she would pick and choose, now she doesn't turn up her nose at anything.

Even when she feels unwell, she tells the Steward and a Daifu is summoned from the Yiguan at once, granting her a three‑day convalescence.

"You're great; I really like having you as my eldest sister‑in‑law."

"Haha, I treat it like an ancestor to worship,"

Every day here she feels as if she's been injected with chicken blood, brimming with inexhaustible vigor.

The old master took Yunfeng and Fengyun to Jingcheng on the eighth day of the third month; Chuan'er went to Fucheng, stayed at the Wang Family, and he and Zihan entered the xiucai exam together.

"Great‑grandmother, I heard that girl is my elder brother's lover?"

"Without those three, I'm not afraid either."

"These three are different,"

"Baa baa," Bai Yangyang curled into a miniature lamb; the old master smiled and nodded, finally understanding why Qiao Mai kept three sheep at home.

The monthly stipend exceeds that of the high‑status families in Jingcheng; everyone works with extraordinary zeal.

"My mother's temper is bad, but she's a good person,"

"Hehe, yes, great‑grandmother!"

"What does my mother do?"

"Don't spend recklessly; save it for your future dowry."

"You were taught well by your mother; this princess can't compare,"

It turned out to be that once‑aura‑strong girl, who sneaked off to ask the old lady.

The old master was startled, "I can sense your confidence."

"You've long doubted me; I'll show you some foundation so you can feel at ease staying in my house, without thinking I can't match the Zhen Guogong family."

The old master swallowed, "Are you an immortal from the Celestial Realm?"

"Eldest sister‑in‑law, I have confidence in you, go for it."

"I know she punished me, I admit it."

"Hmph."

Princess Mu's face flushed, "This matter still needs your mother's approval."

"Then accept it; my brothers and I erred and must be punished—without rules there is no order."

"No wonder you're not afraid of the Zhen Guogong family nor the imperial authority; if I had such ways, I wouldn't fear them either."

"She is passing your mother's test; otherwise she could never become a daughter‑in‑law of the Qiao family."

Mu Xuerong let out a chuckle, "No matter how big, she's not as big as your mother; I'm not here to farm for her, after all."

"Huh?"

"Old lock the door, haha."

"With these three little guys, no matter how many black‑clad men come, they'll be dealt with; what kind of guardian beast has she gotten for the house?"

"No, it's just a bit of skill, that's all,"

Ling'er gave her a grimace, then turned and ran away giggling.

Qiao Mai smiled, "It's so late, please return quickly; with Bai Yangyang accompanying you, you shouldn't be afraid now, right?"

The children went to the imperial examination, so Qiao Mai naturally couldn't settle down to cultivate.

"Hehe, besides what I give my mother, I earn a good amount of silver each month."

Ling'er pursed her lips, "I heard you're a princess; that's a high rank among women."

She swapped her former ornate robes for plain clothes and humbly consulted the maidservants.

Mu Guniang smiled upon seeing Ling'er, "Hello, Miss Ling'er?"

Every year at this time, the people of Tianshui Town all focus on the Qiao family, feeling deeply conflicted.

Mentioning the Zhen Guogong residence made Mu Guniang's eyes redden, "Don't you have to obey your mother? She holds leverage over my family; my mother still can't get out of bed."

"Y-you can speak human language?"

Yuan Jiaqi took the wheat seed she gave, bought fifty mu of land around County Town, and hired a dozen people to manage it.

Now the old master understood why Bai Yangyang was taken along; he watched Bai Yangyang's eyes emit a green glow.

"Hmmh."

"Is your shop business doing well?"

The longer the princess stays at the Qiao household, the more she feels her many years have been wasted; even any servant seems more spirited than she is.

"Too expensive,"

"Oh, why not get one that eats meat?"

Qiao Mai nodded at this, finally displaying the bearing of an elder sister‑in‑law; from now on she will be the senior branch of the Qiao Family, and if she continues to act impulsively as before, she will be the first person she cannot forgive.

The Qiao Family's servants are not ordinary servants; each one is like an immortal, humming little tunes daily, never having a day without joy.

It's herbivorous; don't feed it indiscriminately.

I've seen it.

She sits every day in front of her shop's doorway, sipping a pot of tea, listening to the townsfolk's chatter.

Punishing her to till the fields is also to let her cultivate herself; wanting to become her daughter‑in‑law, that previous manner is unacceptable.

The old lady knows she doesn't understand, so she doesn't say much to her.

Qiao Mai was indifferent to this; she went to the greenhouse behind and looked, seeing Mu Guniang with her little servant girl, diligently and earnestly doing farm work.

Haha, now I have a foundation; with these three, not to mention the Duke of the Nation, even the one on the Dragon Throne, you wouldn't be afraid.

These are Spirit Beasts from the Celestial Realm; I brought three to guard the house. This time, just in case, they will accompany you to the examination.

The old lady saw his expression and kept pursing his lips, "Isn't it that you don't like pets?"

Huh? Why?

Ling'er, besides inspecting the shop every day, follows Jin Mama to learn; she heard a girl had come to the house to learn farming from the matron, and she secretly went to the back to take a look.

Then it must be that your mother provoked my mother; my mother never initiates trouble, right?

In the Qiao Family, you never hear the matron gossiping in groups of three or five; when she has spare time, she dresses herself neatly and looks for work.

Have you read any cultivation books?

And yours?

Its cute appearance makes it hard for him to link them with monsters.

So the old master didn't hold back anything; in the middle of the night he followed Bai Yangyang to look for Qiao Mai.

Because she committed a mistake.

They both want the Qiao family's children to go to high school and yet don't want them to go to high school; in their eyes the Qiao family is already good enough, and if they went to high school it would be even better. They don't want to see the Qiao family continue to prosper, but the Qiao family is not well off; when difficulties arise later, who will come to aid them?

The princess lowered her head, "It was my mother who was unwell first."

Give fertilizer when it's needed, give water when it's needed, just to see the best possible yield of these fifty mu of new wheat seed.

The items have been dispatched; she doesn't want to mix them. Later she'll see what reward the old Emperor can give her husband; if he just sends a beggar, she'll go to the palace herself to claim it for her husband.

In any case, she cannot let the future daughter‑in‑law be ridiculed by the people of the capital.

After Chuan'er finished the exam, Prefect Wang sent someone to bring her back home; she went straight to sleep. Qiao Mai shook her head at the lazy pig; when training in martial arts she always slacked off, and now her physical condition is only a bit stronger than an ordinary scholar's.

(End of chapter)