Chapter 68: I want to eat my fill

"They are like leeches in a rice field; you can't get rid of them without being ruthless. To get rid of them, I've used up all the money I earned in four years. Now I rely on my wife's stall to survive. They are truly too greedy. Not only are they eyeing the money you earn, but they also want to keep scraping from you and your family. In the end, you will only be worn down and die early."

Yuan Jiawang's face turned pale, and he held his head and cried bitterly.

"Father and Mother always use filial piety to pressure us; we really have no other way."

"Big brother, I will not admit to what I said today once you step out of this door. If nothing else, the four of you brothers can dress up as thieves at night and disable their arms and legs. Otherwise, you will have no way out in this life."

"This, we really can't do that."

"If they don't die, you will live in hell forever. Perhaps you won't even live as long as they do."

Yuan Jiawang's lips trembled as he asked, "Why didn't you do that back then?"

"Because you were never on my side. When Father and Mother were wearing me down, you were all watching the joke from the side, not even helping me. Why should I take the risk alone while you reap the benefits?"

"I'm sorry, fifth brother."

Most of his daily pleasure was playing with these two little dogs, taking them to run in the courtyard, playing hide-and-seek. He would feed them all the meat he couldn't bear to eat himself.

Yuan Jiaqi sent him out, bolted the door, took a deep breath, and went to Qiao Mai's room.

"If you believe it, go; if you don't, don't go."

"Did you hear?"

"No, nothing. Since we're going out tomorrow, I'll feed the horse. It's too cold; I'll make a cover for it with a quilt, tied to its belly with a rope?"

He lifted the cotton curtain and entered the room, seeing Qiao Mai playing with Ling'er, so he recounted what had just happened.

Every time, Qiao Mai would pat their heads and encourage them, and only then would the little guys return to their nest in the room.

Looking at the eldest girl of the Qiao family's first branch, Qiao Mai gritted her teeth. Since the Qiao family wouldn't let her go and kept adding trouble for her, she would play dirty. She hoped the little girl had the fate to sell herself and escape the Qiao family.

"Alright, I won't hold a grudge about the past. Don't come looking for me in the future. I am now a matrilocal husband, relying on my wife for food and drink, even the children are, so I have no say at home."

"Tomorrow I'm going to the prefecture city to deliver goods. You stay home and watch the children. Don't open the door for anyone but Shopkeeper Lu and the others. You are too thin and weak to deal with them."

The next day after eating, Qiao Mai carried Ling'er and was about to go out. Yuan Jiaqi had cleaned the carriage early in the morning, placed a charcoal brazier inside, and led Dongzao over to hitch the carriage.

"That's good."

After an autumn harvest, besides paying the public grain, there should always be enough grain for the winter. It's impossible that the ten taels of silver she gave them were all spent, right? Is the whole Qiao family not working?

But as long as they saw Qiao Mai, they treated her as their master, and they were particularly obedient and well-behaved.

Seeing who it was, her anger flared up even more.

Heh, she's good? She's just pretending to be good, isn't she? She's currently playing the role of a weak little woman.

"Mmm, you're right. Being a servant girl in someone else's house is better than being in that family."

"Fifth brother, do you have anything to eat? I'm hungry." Yuan Jiawang's stomach growled.

"Last time you came to the place where I set up my stall, it was right across the street."

Yuan Jiaqi returned to his room and used an old quilt to make a cotton coat for Dongzao.

"I'll take Ling'er; you just need to take good care of the few of them."

"Then I'm going. I don't want to be beaten and scolded by Grandpa and Grandma; I want to eat my fill."

Yuan Jiaqi really wanted to go with her, but Lady Qiao had given instructions, and he couldn't insist on following.

"Alright, you do what you need to do. As long as you have a sense of proportion, you don't need to tell me everything."

"It's so cold, is it okay for you to take Ling'er?"

"Mmm, understood."

Lady Qiao is truly too good, so good that he doesn't know what to say.

"You also need to learn a few moves for self-defense. People, you can know their face but not their heart. When you go out, you must be careful. Don't easily drink tea or wine at anyone's house."

"What about Ling'er?"

"Come in."

If Qiao Mai went out, they would guard the room door. Hearing her footsteps from afar, they would run to the courtyard gate to welcome her.

Qiao Mai held Ling'er in her arms, using her cloak to block the bitter cold, and sat in front of the carriage, driving it away from home.

With words stuck in his heart that he couldn't say, Yuan Jiaqi left in discomfort.

"If you don't have such determination, go back. In short, you must be united and not be foolishly filial anymore. You must be tough. I won't say much more; I believe big brother should understand."

"A family of shameless goods doesn't come, but sends a child. Do you think I wouldn't dare to take action against a child? Get out quickly!"

"Rest assured, as long as I am here, I will never let them step into this house, even if I have to risk my life."

"We are partners, not a real husband and wife. You don't need to take it seriously. You don't need to tell me about such small things in the future, as long as you don't empty out my house."

Hearing Yuan Jiaqi say that the Qiao family was looking for her, Qiao Mai was so angry she laughed. The Qiao family's skin is truly thick.

Nowadays, Qiao Mai is playing the role of a good woman, a good mother, and a good wife.

He sewed cloth strips on it and brought it to the shed, tying it around its entire belly. Dongzao felt very warm and comfortable, and even used its horse mouth to bite his clothes.

Seeing that he still hadn't left, Qiao Mai asked, "Anything else?"

"Mmm."

The dogs also liked the children; they were like friends and brothers and sisters.

"Take it. After you're full, go to the employment agency. Remember, don't go back to the Qiao family. Sell yourself, keep the money in your own hands, don't give it to anyone, and let the people at the agency find you a good family."

That's because he hadn't seen her ruthlessness, her poison, her hostility.

The two dogs had been here for a month, and their size had doubled. The children named them.

"Can I come in?"

She handed Ling'er to him to hold, found a stick in the courtyard, and rushed to the courtyard gate.

Qiao Mai's eyes lit up. "This can work."

Yuan Jiaqi went to the kitchen and brought a basket of steamed buns. "Take them back for them to eat. Don't be oblivious; hide the buns, call the family out to eat, and then go home. Otherwise, you won't even be able to keep this basket of buns."

Returning to the room, seeing Yuan Jiaqi looking at her with a strange gaze, as if looking at a kindred spirit.

One was called Wu Zhui, and the other was called Sai Xue.

"Really?"

"Then big brother is leaving."

Yuan Jiaqi's face turned red, and he hurriedly lowered his head.

"Are you going to get out or not?"

"I believe it. Looking at how you usually teach the children martial arts, you seem very powerful."

"Thank you, fifth brother. Big brother was wrong to you before."

"Aunt?"

"Of course I can. Don't look at me as a woman, not as tall or strong as you. Do you believe that even if ten of you like this came, I wouldn't be afraid?"

"Grandpa and Grandma said that if I couldn't get anything from Aunt, they wouldn't let me go home. Please, have pity on me."

The next day, people from the Qiao family in Lihua Village also came. They knew it was New Year and wanted to see if they could get some benefits from her.

Qiao Mai took Ling'er, carried her to the kang, and coaxed her to sleep.

"Yes, after all, I am a matrilocal husband of the Qiao family."

"Lady Qiao, I..."

"Then let me tell you, there is an employment agency on the side of the official road. Go there, say you are selling yourself, and let them help you find a good family to be a servant girl. Being a servant girl in a big family is better than being in the Qiao family. Do you dare to go?"

Qiao Mai returned to the room and got her a big steamed bun.

"Where exactly is it?"

This scene looked too warm to Yuan Jiaqi. The wife he dreamed of was supposed to be this gentle and virtuous.

"Are you here to tell me about the basket of buns you took from home to give to him?"

There wasn't a shadow of a carriage on the official road. Seeing no one, Qiao Mai sent Ling'er into the space.

She took off her outer clothes and let her crawl around on the floor in the room to play.

As soon as she entered the prefecture city, she parked the carriage on the side of the road, went inside, and placed everything prepared in the space into the carriage box.

There were ten boxes in total, all wrapped in quilts.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 69 =====