Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Having their whole family summoned by Elderly Lady Qiao, her grandmother and also the matriarch of their family, this very night was within Qiao Mu’s expectations. Qiao Mu was very familiar with this old woman’s personality. She was selfish, paranoid, envious, and especially defensive about her pride.
In her previous life, her mother’s death from depression had a lot to do with this old woman’s secret and crafty maneuvers.
She was a duplicitous person who secretly sent her mother to her death through machinations while boasting to everyone about how well she treated her eldest daughter-in-law on the surface.
If Elderly Lady Qiao did not evaluate her identity immediately, she would probably not be able to sleep tonight. Of course, Qiao Mu believed that after Elderly Lady Qiao ascertained her identity as a mystic cultivator, she wagered the old woman would be embroiled in envy and provoked to a night of insomnia.
When Qiao Mu was led by her mother’s hand through the door, she caught sight of Elderly Lady Qiao sitting in the chief seat. Her face merged with the harsh and gaunt face of the Elderly Lady Qiao in her memory—a dark and thin face, a pointy chin, and a pair of old, gloomy eyes. No matter how much she tried to dress like an elderly woman from a rich family, it could not hide the pettiness carved into her bones.
“Mother.” Her father, Qiao Zhongbang, her mother, Wei Ziqin, as well as the trailing Second Uncle, Qiao Zhongheng, and Youngest Aunt-in-Law, Xu Jiao, all respectfully bowed towards the elderly woman.
After Youngest Aunt-in-Law bowed, she walked to her husband, Qiao Zhongheng’s, side and picked up the hand of her four-year-old son, the portly Qiao Long, with a grin.
The tiny hall was filled with people. Besides her eldest aunt, Qiao Wenxiu, who married remotely to Liu City, her second uncle’s family, her youngest uncle’s family, and her youngest aunt, Qiao Wenjuan, who was getting married in September, were all present.
This caused Qiao Mu to involuntarily sneer inside. This truly had the stance of a clan hearing!
“I was actually present at the assembly just now, but I was quite far from the crowd and did not clearly see the events. However, I heard the villagers talking about how the youngest mystic cultivator of our village appeared in our Qiao Clan, so I wanted to seek you out and ask whether it was true.” As Elderly Lady Qiao said this, her gloomy eyes intently stared at Qiao Mu.
What was hilarious was that her stupid father thought that his mother was joyful and proud of his daughter becoming a mystic cultivator just like him and that she had impatiently called them here to immediately question them about it.
Qiao Zhongbang nodded furiously and answered with a smile, “Mother, don’t worry, this is absolutely true! We saw it with our own eyes. Also, those experts from the Heavenly Dao Sect all confirmed it; our Qiao’er is a mystic cultivator.”
Elderly Lady Qiao’s eyes and mouth drew down, and she gave a grave hum. Then, she coldly asked, “I heard that Qiao Mu strongly rejected the invitation of Senior Brother Ji from the Heavenly Dao Sect? And also arrogantly injured a wealthy lady from the Heavenly Dao Sect? Is this true?”
Qiao Zhongbang’s heart sunk, and he hastily lowered his head, reverently replying, “It’s like this, Mother, that lady from the Heavenly Dao Sect started it…”
“I’m asking you, is this matter true?” the old woman angrily shouted with a frown as she heavily slapped the black wooden table.
Qiao Zhongbang immediately knelt down on the ground and fearfully nodded. “Yes. Yes, it’s true, Mother, don’t be angry.”
As a widow, his mother had raised three sons and two daughters to adulthood with great difficulty and subsequently helped them form their own families and careers.
Therefore, all of her children held absolute reverence for their widowed mother, including him, Qiao Zhongbang. As soon as he saw his mother grow angry, he instantly gave in.
“How absurd!” Elderly Lady Qiao venomously rebuked in displeasure, “The child might be insensible, but are you two adults also insensible? What kind of place is Heavenly Dao Sect? Is that a place you can offend? Is a wealthy lady from the Heavenly Dao Sect someone that can be beaten and abused by a country girl like her?”
Elderly Lady Qiao knocked on the table with loud thumps as she continued to berate. “Did you want to shove the Qiao Clan into a boiling pot of oil to be fried alive!”
