BXBX NOVEL Chapter 157 - 157: No One Cares?
“I never expected this. I didn’t think that at my age, I could look young again.”
“What do you mean by looking young again? In the future, you’ll look young every day.”
“Yes, every day!”
Wang Jiaru stood in front of her. “Grandmother, if you attend my grand wedding like this, won’t it infuriate those old women from the Wang family?”
“Hmph, let them be infuriated. Back when I entered the Wang family, they didn’t treat me well.”
Old Master Wang cleared his throat. “Alright, let’s not bring up the past.”
“Why shouldn’t we? They still want to control us. Why should my granddaughter’s wedding be held at their house?”
“They want to give respect to our granddaughter. The newlyweds won’t be kowtowing to them on that day; it will be Zongsheng and his wife.”
“If they dare to make trouble, don’t blame me for confronting them. They’ll enjoy all the benefits while we’re the ones spending money and effort, and in the end, we get nothing.”
“Well, didn’t they send five carts of valuables?”
“They bought those gifts with our money. You’re too naive!”
Qiao Mai quickly said, “Grandmother, don’t be angry. Getting angry not only makes you look old, but it also affects your longevity.”
“I’m not angry. We’ll handle it as it comes.”
“Alright.”
Old Master Wang knew he was wrong, so he didn’t argue with her and lay down.
“Come, girl, do my hair. When we return to the Wang family tomorrow, I want to show off to them.”
“But you can’t reveal me. I’ll only dye yours and Old Mistress Wang’s hair. I don’t want to bother with others.”
Madam Wang touched her hair. “Girl, if I have grey hair, will you dye mine?”
“Of course.”
She smiled contentedly while Wang Jiaru attended to the old lady.
“Grandmother, don’t worry. After I settle down at the Prince’s residence, I’ll ask Long Ji to help us move Father’s official position up.”
Madam Wang hurriedly said, “Don’t act recklessly. Your father said he likes being the magistrate of City Wei. He’s free to do as he pleases there. Besides, all our workshops are over there.”
“Oh, when does Father plan to become an official in the Capital? I’ll talk to my husband to persuade the Emperor when the time comes.”
Not long after, Old Master Wang’s hair was also done. After drying his hair, he looked in the mirror and was satisfied.
“Girl, the shampoo you used smells so good.”
“If you like it, you can keep it for you and Grandmother. I have another bottle.” “Can you give it to me?”
Madam Wang knew that if she didn’t speak up, she wouldn’t get anything.
“Sure. Do you want this skincare product?”
“Yes, yes. Can you give me some of that mask as well?”
“Of course. It’s called a facial mask. You can use it every five or six days for about fifteen minutes each time.”
Old Mistress Wang lightly touched her face with her hand. “This face mask and skincare cream are amazing. My face feels so smooth and tender.”
“If you use it regularly, your face will stay this tender daily.”
“It seems like the wrinkles at the corners of my eyes have also lightened quite a bit.”
“If you use it for a while, you might look like a young girl.”
“Haha!”
Everyone in the room laughed. Wang Jiaru couldn’t help but feel envious, thinking that the dress Qiao Mai had given her didn’t seem so special anymore.
They didn’t have lunch at home that day. When they left, Qiao Mai gave some snacks she had prepared for the children to Zihan to take with him.
Zihan cried again when she left, as he always did. Every time he saw Qiao Mai, he didn’t want to leave, as if Qiao Mai were his real sister.
After seeing them off, the old lady pulled Qiao Mai aside. “Let me tell you, don’t take the children out recently.”
“Why?”
“The Fu family in the Capital was robbed.”
Qiao Mai smirked subtly. “Their family being robbed has nothing to do with us.”
“I heard that the robber left a threatening note at their home. The Fu family wields great influence in the Capital, second only to the imperial family.” “What about your maternal family?”
“Although we’re not afraid of them, it’s better to avoid trouble. We are the righteous party, but they are cunning and use dirty tricks. We may not be able to handle them.”
“Yes, the Wang family is prominent, but they are still a bit below the others. It’s not that I’m worried you’ll cause trouble, but I’m concerned they might provoke you. You don’t know that girl from the Fu family. She’s stubborn, unreasonable, and greedy. If she fancies something nice, she’ll do whatever it takes to get her hands on it, regardless of who it belongs to.” Qiao Mai recalled her previous interaction with that girl.
“And no one stops her?”
“Who would dare? She’s not foolish. She doesn’t dare to mess with the royal family, but she bullies those who are less fortunate. Her father and grandfather are close to the Emperor. They only have this one daughter and spoil her rotten. They give her the stars and the moon. She’s already eighteen and still unmarried.”
“Why hasn’t she married?”
Speaking of this, the old lady’s face turned dark.
“She fancies Ru’er’s husband, but he doesn’t like her. He swears he’ll never marry her. Even the Emperor’s decree can’t force this marriage, as the Prince is the Emperor’s brother. The Emperor can’t interfere.” “Where is the main branch of the Wang family?”
“It’s a bit coincidental. It’s right next to the Fu family.”
Qiao Mai’s mind raced. “So, if Miss Fu refuses to marry anyone except for Prince Shunqin, could this potentially disrupt Jiaru’s marriage?”
“Humph, that’s not my main concern.”
“Who else is there?”
“There are those girls from the Wang family. Their hearts are impure. They’re probably going crazy thinking about marrying the Prince. This is what worries me the most. The Wang family is good, but they fall short compared to the people in the Capital. It is hard to guard against cunning people.”
Qiao Mai squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. I’m here.”
“You’ve had it tough. Take care of your children. You’re not in a strong position, but once Jiaqi and the children become officials, you’ll have more power.”
Qiao Mai smiled meaningfully, “You have to believe me. There’s nothing in this world that can defeat me.”
Old Mistress Wang was inexplicably drawn in by her words. “I only hope Jiaru will marry smoothly into the royal family.”
“She definitely will.”
The old couple seemed to have taken a calming pill, both involuntarily trusting Qiao Mai.
The next day, Old Master and Mistress Wang went to the main branch. Qiao Mai was obedient, letting the children play at home. They were allowed to go anywhere in the house except outside the front gate.
Of course, that’s only for the kids.
As for herself, Qiao Mai transformed into an inconspicuous man.
She strolled casually on the streets, looking for species unavailable in her space and checking the prices in the Capital.
The streets were empty at this time as if they had been ransacked by invaders, with debris scattered everywhere.
The presence of soldiers was felt everywhere, conducting searches. Qiao Mai sneered. Even if they searched to the ends of the earth, they wouldn’t find anything. It was a waste of effort.
Some small shops had closed, and the ones that remained open usually had strong backing.
For the soldiers, it was just a routine and a show of force. They checked and then moved on; nobody dared to offend powerful figures.
The soldiers didn’t bother to check ordinary people walking along the road like her. They cast a casual glance and then went elsewhere.
Qiao Mai smiled, took a handful of melon seeds from her shoulder bag, and cracked them open while walking.
With so few people around, there was no fun in wandering.
She took a basket from her space and filled it with some dendrobium orchids, a few ginseng roots, and reishi, all fresh and unprocessed.
She arrived at a medical hall. It was particularly quiet today. Even the chief physician was leisurely sipping tea.
This clinic was called Ming Ren, and the owner behind it must be powerful, with branches in various places.
As soon as she entered, the head physician glanced at her and ignored her.
He thought, “Good complexion, not looking like a patient at all, and dressed quite well. Clearly not here for a medical checkup.”
A shop assistant came over. “Are you here to buy medicine or see a doctor?”
“To sell medicine. Do you take it?” “We do, as long as the medicine is effective.”
“Can you make the decision?”