Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Qiao Jinniang had been preparing gifts for Tuan’er in the past few days. She had made a lot of small clothes and still wanted to make a few stuffed dolls for Tuan’er.
She couldn’t accompany Tuan’er at all times, but it would be good if these stuffed dolls could accompany him.
The Duchess and Qiao Ruoyun entered the Jin Garden together. Seeing that Qiao Jinniang was still making children’s clothes, she sighed. “Alas, are you missing Tuan’er?”
Qiao Jinniang had thought that the Duke had already told her mother about her real relationship with the Crown Prince, but now it seemed that the Duchess was still in the dark about this.
“My poor girl, the Li family broke faith with us and annulled the marriage. What should you do now?” the Duchess said with tears, “The Li family is really hateful.”
Qiao Ruoyun said in a low voice, “Mother, Jinniang should have married into Duke Qin Mansion. I can return the marriage to her…”
Qiao Jinniang hurriedly raised her head and looked at Qiao Ruoyun. “Sister, no!”
The Duchess also said to Ruoyun, “What are you talking about? How can you ‘return’ your marriage to her?
“Alas, neither of us is lucky enough to meet a good man.”
Qiao Jinniang asked the Duchess, “Mother, have you ever thought about divorcing Father?”
The Duchess gently stroked Qiao Jinniang’s hair and said, “It’s useless even if I think about it. I just hope you and your sisters can live happily and freely.”
Qiao Ruoyun said, “Yes, Mother.”
Qiao Jinniang asked, “Why did you come over today, Sister?”
Ruoyun smiled and said, “Don’t you know that tomorrow is Dad’s birthday party? I came back to help Mother with the banquet.”
Qiao Jinniang had heard about the birthday party some time ago.
However, after knowing what happened between her father and mother from Qiao Ruoyi, she didn’t plan to prepare a birthday present for her father.
She even forgot that tomorrow is the Duke’s birthday.
The Duchess said, “Oh, I’m so busy with the birthday banquet these days and even forgot to tell you about it.
“Your Father doesn’t want a high-profile birthday banquet, so we just invited our relatives, friends and some of your father’s colleagues.
“I’ve prepared the clothes and jewelry for you and your sisters to wear tomorrow, which are the same. Unfortunately, Ruoshui was grounded by Consort Xian because of the ‘teapot mouth’ thing.”
Qiao Ruoyun tittered. “Teapot mouth…”
Qiao Jinniang became even more curious. Even Ruoyun knew the meaning of teapot mouth, and the entire city was laughing at it, but she didn’t know what it meant.
Although Duke Anyuan didn’t want a high-profile banquet, there were still four or five tables of female guests.
Qiao Jinniang couldn’t imagine how grand the banquet would be if it was a high-profile one.
When the guests saw Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi, they were full of praise, but it was only a compliment on the surface.
Qin Miaomiao came over and said to Qiao Jinniang, “It’s been a long time. Miss Qiao, you became even more beautiful.”
Qiao Jinniang noticed that Qin Miaomiao didn’t look very good. She must have suffered because of Prince Mediocre’s letter. “You too, Miss Qin.”
Someone suddenly shouted out loud from outside. “Let me in! Qiao Jinniang, the daughter of Duke Anyuan, abandoned her husband and child!”
“Tuan’er, come on, call Mother!”
“Qiao Jinniang, you’ve already been married in Lin’an and have a husband. Why do you still pretend to be an unmarried girl and get engaged to another man?”
“I’m your Second Miss’s husband. Who the hell are you? How dare you stop me?”
Qiao Jinniang didn’t hear the voices outside quite clearly, but she heard something like husband and what?
Mrs. Zheng said, “Oh, I hear someone is saying he is Jinniang’s husband? Come on, let’s go to the door and take a look.”
The Duchess frowned and went to the gate of Duke Mansion, and saw a group of guards stopping a man and a child who was about three years old.
The man and the child both looked very unsightly.
It was crowded with people watching the fun at the gate.
Mrs. Zheng followed out and said, “Phew, this must be Jinniang’s son. He looks exactly like Jinniang!”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Aunt, find a doctor to check your eyes!”
This kid looked very ugly, with tiny eyes, a flat nose and very thick lips, which wrinkled together.
After seeing Qiao Jinniang, the man hurried forward and said,
“Jin’er, I’m your honey. You are really heartless. After you became the Duke’s daughter, you just abandoned us!”
The ugly man secretly pinched the little dirty boy in front of him.
The child pounced on Qiao Jinniang and cried, “Mommy, boohoo, Mommy.”
Qiao Jinniang stepped back.
Mrs. Zheng said sarcastically, “So Jinniang was already married in Lin’an? Why didn’t you tell us earlier?
“This is the Duke’s son-in-law and grandson. Come on in!”
Qiao Ruoyun held Qin Miaomiao’s hand nervously and said, “Sister, what should I do now?”
The Duchess almost fainted. She pointed at the ugly man. “It was you who divorced my daughter. How do you have the nerve to come at her?”
Qiao Jinniang supported the Duchess and said, “Mother, he is not my ex-husband.”
The ugly man said crossly, “Of course I am”
Then he took out a portrait and said, “This is the portrait of Qiao Jinniang’s husband who she drew herself. Look, don’t my son and I look exactly the same as the person in the portrait?”
Seeing the painting in the man’s hand, Qiao Jinniang covered her face in shame. She always knew that her painting skills were terrible…
But she didn’t expect her poor painting skill would cause her such a big trouble.
She drew the painting for the dark guards in the Duke Mansion to find Lu Chen not long after she returned.
The man continued to shout, “Jinniang, how could you be so cruel to abandon us?”
Mrs. Zheng echoed, “Yes, Jinniang, how could you be so cruel as to abandon your son? He’s still so young. Look how dirty his face is.”
Among the noble ladies who came today, only Mrs. Zheng dared to say these words.
However, the people outside watching the fun began to curse.
“How can the Duke’s daughter be so despicable? When she gained wealth and power, she just abandoned her husband and child!”
“Oh my god, she abandoned her husband and child! Tsk, fortunately, the Li family broke off the engagement with her!”
“How can an aristocratic woman do such a shameless thing?!”
The ugly man continued. “Qiao Jinniang, if you don’t admit it, we can invite someone from Lin’an to prove it.
“You won’t be able to abandon us and live your happy and rich life.”
Old Madam Zheng said to Old Madam Qiao from behind, “Mrs. Qiao, as you can see, Jinniang’s reputation has been ruined. I’m her maternal grandmother after all. I’m willing to let her marry Zheng Bo as a concubine…”
How could Old Madam Qiao not figure out who arranged this show out today. She simply said, “Thank you.”
Old Madam Qiao had thought that since Jinniang had a child with the Crown Prince, it would be best for her to marry into the East Palace.
But she didn’t want to force Jinniang to do that.
Firstly, she felt guilty to this granddaughter, and secondly, if she forced Jinniang to marry into the East Palace, she would only become an enemy of the Duke Mansion.
But she didn’t expect the Zheng family to arrange such a show.
What happened between Jinniang and the Crown Prince couldn’t be kept secret any longer, and the royal family had got to get Jinniang in the right place…
