Qiao Ruoyi was pregnant and rarely went out. However, there was a banquet at the palace during the Lantern Festival, so she had to go.
When they entered the palace in the Xie residence’s carriage, Little Nichang was wearing a newly made red traditional dress. She was wearing a white fox cloak with two small buns tied with red fur balls on her head. She was extremely cute.
Xie Yun saw that little nichang was wearing such a festive dress and asked, “Why are you wearing such a festive dress today?”
Little Nichang stood up from the carriage and walked around in circles. “This is a gift from my aunt.”
Qiao ruoyi touched Little Nichang’s bun and said, “Sister felt that Nichang was dressed too simply in the past. Today is the Shangyuan Festival, so she specially made festive clothes for her, Nichang, and the princess of King Qi’s Chu Manor.”
Nichang spun her embroidered golden plum dress around and around, unable to stop. Children always liked bright colors.
However, in the past, Qiao Ruoyi liked plain clothes. When she arrived at the Xie family, she had the elegant style of an aristocratic family. All the bright colors were gone.
Nichang really liked this dress.
“Be careful, don’t drop it.”Qiao ruoyi smiled when she saw the smugly nichang.
The carriage was not fast, but Qiao Ruoyi was still worried.
Xie Yun grabbed Little Nichang’s hand. As soon as he grabbed her, the carriage came to a sudden stop. Even though it was not fast, little nichang still fell. Fortunately, Xie Yun pulled her back just now, and Little Nichang only fell on Xie Yun’s body.
Qiao ruoyi lifted the curtain and asked outside, “Did something happen?”
The coachman said, “A woman in shabby clothes suddenly came out just now. That’s why I stopped the horse.”
Qiao Ruoyi got off the carriage. They were on the street after all. If the horse hit someone, it would be their fault. She walked up and saw that the person lying on the ground was Hu Caiqin?
“Caiqin? Why are you here?”
Hu Caiqin saw Qiao ruoyi and quickly said, “Cousin, please save me. We came to Chang ‘an this time because we offended the local ruffian in the suburbs. I didn’t expect that the local ruffian would chase us all the way to Chang ‘an…”
Qiao Ruoyi asked Yan Yu to pull Hu Caiqin up from the ground and said, “Local ruffian?”
Hu caiqin cried and said, “That local ruffian took a fancy to my looks and insisted on marrying me. At that time, my parents didn’t know the local ruffian’s character and believed in the matchmaker. They accepted me. But later, I learned about his character and he wouldn’t allow me to break off the engagement.
“Please save me, cousin. As long as you take me in for a few days and let that ruffian know that my cousin is you, I’m sure he won’t come and humiliate me again in the future.”
Qiao ruoyi had been in the officialdom for several years. If she couldn’t even hear Hu Caiqin’s lies, she wouldn’t be able to reach this position.
Qiao ruoyi thought about it. The Hu family was a problem after all. Rather than chasing them away and letting them suddenly appear out of nowhere, it was better to see what Hu Caiqin wanted to do.
She might as well get rid of the Hu family in one fell swoop.
“Then you go back to the Xie residence and wait for me,”Qiao Ruoyi said.
Hu caiqin secretly heaved a sigh of relief. When the Hu family came to Chang ‘an, she was only nine years old. She was two years younger than Qiao ruoyi, so she did not do anything excessive at that time.
She thought that even if Qiao Ruoyi blamed the Hu family, she would not blame her.
Since Qiao Ruoyi had allowed her to enter the Xie family, Hu Caiqin’s mind had cleared up. After entering the Xie family, why would she worry about not being able to stay in the Xie family for the rest of her life?
..
The Lantern Festival dinner had always ended early. Qiao Nichang followed the second Prince and Crown Prince of Nihon to play with the children.
Xie Yun then said to Qiao ruoyi, “You have to go to the main street to take a look. I heard that there are many types of ice lanterns this year. They are not comparable to the ice lanterns in previous years.”
Qiao ruoyi shook her head, “I’m tired.”
The Shangyuan Festival had always been a festival with lovers, and most of the streets were filled with couples.
Qiao ruoyi still remembered the first Shangyuan festival after marrying Luo Wei. Luo Wei had not studied since he was young, and he only knew a few words. He did not know any of the lantern riddles.
Luo Wei was afraid that Qiao ruoyi would laugh at him. On the night before the Shangyuan Festival, he had read many lantern riddles and memorized the answers to the lantern riddles.
By the second day, he had forgotten all of them. Now, Qiao Ruoyi still remembered how embarrassed and ashamed Luo Wei looked in front of the lanterns..
Qiao ruoyi had thought that if she had a langjun, the Shangyuan festival would be after dusk. They would win all the lanterns by guessing riddles from outside the palace.
However, she preferred that Luo Wei brought her to make lanterns, to cut ice on the river, and to carve ice lanterns. She didn’t have to rack her brains to solve riddles.
She watched Luo Wei make her a unique lantern. Unfortunately, the ice lantern was short-lived and melted after a night.
Xie Yun looked into the carriage and at Qiao Ruoyi who was smiling faintly at the scene on the street. She asked, “What are you looking at?”
Qiao ruoyi replied, “Nothing much. Let’s go back.”
Luo Wei was no longer alive. All the good things had become memories.
After returning to the manor, Qiao Ruoyi asked the servant girl in the manor about what Hu Caiqin had done in the Xie Manor. After learning that she had stayed in a remote courtyard, she had never left the courtyard.
Yan Yu poured a cup of hot tea for Qiao ruoyi and said, “Madam, why did you stop making Ice Lanterns this year?”
Qiao ruoyi said, “The person who made the ice lanterns with me is no longer here. It’s better not to do it.”
..
After the lantern festival, she had to get busy with the spring examinations. It was already late at night when Xie Yun finished her work every day, so she did not go to Qiao Ruoyi’s room.
Hu Caiqin, who had stayed in the Xie residence for a few days, also knew that her chance had finally come. The Sky had just turned dark when she said, “Eh, where are my earrings? Why are they missing?”
Hu Caiqin searched for the earrings all the way and found Xie Yun’s courtyard.
Before she could enter, she was stopped by the guards at the courtyard entrance. “Where did the servant girl come from? Master’s study is not allowed to go near!”
Hu caiqin said, “Little brother, I don’t know where my earring fell to. I saw a wild cat running into this place just now. I don’t know if the earring was carried in by the Wild Cat? “Little brother, please do me a favor and let me go in to take a look, okay? “After all, this is a daughter’s item…”
Just as Hu Caiqin finished her sentence, Lan Xin laughed behind her back, “Stray Cat? Master can’t even enter a Sparrow’s study. Where did the stray cat come from? You look very unfamiliar. You’re not even wearing the clothes of the Xie family’s servant girl. Who Are You?”
Hu Caiqin turned around and saw Xie Yun. Under the candlelight, Xie Yun’s appearance was even more breathtaking.
Hu Caiqin’s voice softened as she bowed, “Caiqin greets brother-in-law.”
“Brother-in-law?”Lan Xin said, “When did the Qiao family have another daughter? No, with your appearance, you’re probably not the Qiao family’s daughter!”
The Qiao family’s daughters were all extremely good-looking. Even Qiao Ruoyun, who was not their biological daughter, was much better looking than this one.
Hu Caiqin gently twirled a strand of hair in front of her and said, “My surname is Hu. Qiao Ruoyi is my cousin. These few days, my cousin has allowed me to temporarily stay in the Xie residence…”
As she spoke, Hu Caiqin raised her head and looked at Xie Yun. She then lowered her eyes shyly.
