Chapter 348: She Isn't Her!

They used their last ounce of strength, stared with their eyes open, and breathed their final breath.

Tian Sanzhuang fell onto his body and began wailing, the fat woman rolled her eyes, and took Dizi to go inform the others.

People say that when a person is about to die, their words are kind; I never expected that this Tian Laohan's last words would be this—he'll be reborn as a wretched soul in the next life, Hmph!

Qiao Mai will emerge from seclusion in ten days; she cannot stay in seclusion forever, there are two children, and they are still on a carriage back to Jingcheng.

She heard the news, curled her lips, "Die well!"

It was now the twentieth day of the twelfth month, the journey took six days, and arriving home just in time for the New Year, without any delay.

As she was preparing to set out back to Jingcheng, the head of the Qiao Family arrived. He didn't enter Jixiang Yuan, but instead sent someone to deliver a letter to Qiao Mai and then left.

It turned out that Qiao Shicheng, the Original Host's father, was in poor health and probably felt he didn't have much time left; knowing that Qiao Mai was at home, he wanted to see her once.

She pondered repeatedly in the room and decided to still meet the Original Host's father.

"Master, shall I go lock the door?"

"Cannot."

"This carriage is really nice, I don't know where it came from, it's not bumpy at all."

"I feel the same; if it weren't for Mother's resourcefulness, I truly couldn't adapt to life in the South, especially in summer—everything is so humid, it's unbearable."

The Old Emperor instantly took a liking to this carriage, and the coachman felt extremely aggrieved after returning.

Qiao Mai stepped forward, knocked a few times, and shortly after Qiao Lvshi came out trembling and imposing. Qiao Mai is thirty‑two this year; the Original Host's mother seems to be only in her fifties, yet already looks this aged.

Both of them looked at the child and laughed foolishly, "Ling'er, I feel the North is still better."

【7】 The coachman asked around the villagers, and the carriage stopped in front of a courtyard gate.

After the driver asked the villagers for information, the carriage stopped in front of a courtyard gate.

She left; the Qiao Family members wanted to see her off but dared not, and Qiao Lvshi sat on the kang watching over Qiao Shicheng.

"I have no carriage to hurry."

Qiao Mai dodged the hand she extended, and coldly asked, "Doesn't he want to see me?"

But she couldn't; from the moment they first met she was scolded, and they even tried to sell her again, so she never intended to acknowledge them.

This time returning, she, having nothing else to do, stored a lot of snow in her space; Xiao Qing also separately cleared an area, built a Snow Mountain, and left it for the master to use at any time.

"That feeling is nice; how long has this concubine not left the house?"

When she saw Qiao Mai, tears kept streaming from her eyes; she wiped them while trying to reach out and pull her.

Although it was still that mud‑brick house, it hadn't fallen apart; it seems that after Yuan Jiaqi had them work there, life wasn't that terrible.

Qiao Mai ignored her, lifted her leg and walked inside; the Qiao Family members, all in the old mansion, sensed that Qiao Shicheng's health was poor and feared he might pass away, so the west wing even had a coffin and such prepared.

Qiao Mai withdrew her spiritual power and smiled; does she really act so domineering and unilateral, letting that Wang Jiaru's Servant Girl talk as if she were a mother tiger?

In the carriage of the two girls, a child was perched, with various candied hawthorn skewers stuck on him; these were prepared in advance by Qiao Ji Snack Shop for the two to eat on the road.

She didn't know why Qiao Mai's chest suddenly fluttered; perhaps it was a reflex of the Original Host's bodily condition—no matter how bad this family that gave birth to and raised her was, she couldn't forget it.

"Young lady, will you acknowledge us?"

"Oh!"

"I am a Lonely Wandering Ghost, I am a Vengeful Wronged Soul; I should have killed everyone who harmed her for her. You, who have survived until now, should be grateful to that deceased her! Tomorrow I will return to Jingcheng. Farewell, I won't see you off."

"I have come on behalf of the deceased Qiao Mai."

"She is not her! She is not her, so that's how it is, ha ha, I get it, I get it."

Qiao Mai didn't want to explain to this fool, "If you don't see me, then leave."

She stepped down from the carriage, dressed in splendid robes, head held high, her back perfectly straight.

Jia Mei ate a skewer of hawthorn, Ling'er ate a skewer of strawberries; after spending so much time together, their relationship was not like sisters-in-law but more like close girlfriends.

But she wasn't the Original Host; she came to see off Qiao Shicheng only to fulfill the Original Host's wish. After all, given the Original Host's temperament, if her parents said a few kind words, she would surely soften and forgive them.

Qiao Lvshi looked at her and said, "Dead? Aren't you alive and well?"

"His father, what are you saying?"

"I, what about you?"

"Yes, Master."

"Indeed, who knows if she has another carriage; I can't even clear this old face to claim another one, hehe, it's so comfortable. Another day I'll take you outside to have a look."

"Why?"

"No need, just stay here and wait."

"I don't accept it; I heard he's about to die, that's why I came, don't waste time having idle dreams."

"After the New Year I'll acquire a few more carriages; you go take care of your business first."

Qiao Shicheng spat out a mouthful of blood and immediately fainted; the sight terrified the Qiao Family members, who all rushed over, continuously shaking Qiao Shicheng.

This rock‑candy hawthorn skewer is authentic only when eaten in Beifang; southern candy can also be eaten, but because the air is humid, the sugar coating sticks, whereas here it is crisp.

At this moment the Old Emperor was seated in the carriage with the Empress, having two horses harnessed and leisurely strolling through the palace.

Because Qiao Mai had been killed by the Tian Family, she died on the night of her premature birth.

They rode such a carriage back to Tianshui Town.

Someone gave her a seat, but she didn't sit, standing by the kang.

She rode the carriage, braving wind and snow to Lihua Village; since the Original Host was taken away by Tian Sanzhuang, she had never returned.

On the twenty‑seventh day of the twelfth month, they returned to Jingcheng; Qiao Mai immediately had Jia Mei sent back to the palace, but the Emperor saw the carriage, ordered the coachman to ride the horse back to the Qiao Family, and the carriage was seized.

"Lord Yuan has been sending gifts for so many years; I heard that everything in their shop has been given to us."

"Then why did you come?"

She was about to turn around when Qiao Lvshi hurriedly called out, "He is inside the house; he has been ill for several months now."

"Young lady, your father has wronged you; I'm glad you came to see me, can you forgive your father?"

"Master, the carriage remains in the palace."

I'm here; say whatever you have to say.

When the time comes, we'll disguise ourselves as an ordinary married couple, go to her family's Small Food Shop to eat, and it'll feel right there.

You—aren't you her?

Hmm, if we stay, we stay—consider it a New Year's gift for him.

His father, you got what you wanted, right?

Yes, Beifang has four seasons a year, while Nanfang only has summer and winter. If Aunt comes back next year, shall we also follow and stay again for a while?

She knows that Xianggong, though he doesn't acknowledge them, is still their biological parent, and he can't be as cold‑hearted as she is.

A father who can't protect his own daughter, yet constantly thinks of eating her flesh and drinking her blood—are you fit to be a father?

Love is love, hate is hate; if you neither love nor hate, she doesn't want it.

On the twenty‑first day of the twelfth month, Qiao Mai left Tianshui Town with two girls.

Listen to Mother's arrangement; Wang Jiaru's Old Servant says if we're allowed to follow, we follow; if not, we have no choice. Remember, whatever Mother says rarely changes; we must obey.

Qiao Mai glanced at the people in the house, then turned and left.

When she left, friends in Town rose early to see them off; Qiao Mai sent someone to inquire about the two elders of the Yuan Family, and both were robust and without any ailment.

She entered the house, saw members of the Qiao Family but didn't greet them; seeing Qiao Shicheng lying on the kang, she walked straight over.

Perhaps others think she was speaking in a fit of anger, but the near‑dying Qiao Shicheng suddenly stared wide‑eyed, twisting his head to look at her.

"It's necessary; our two families are kin upon kin,"

While the two were enjoying themselves in the carriage, Yuan Jiaqi was at that moment attending to his wife's washing, then giving her a massage on the warm kang.

"My wife is burdened."

"Not tired; this year we earned over a hundred thousand taels more than last year. I plan to have the child handle the accounts next year, so I won't go."

(End of chapter)