Chapter 51: Li Family’s Maid, Ruyu

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Qiao Jinniang was caught off guard by Li Yun’s touch. This was the first time she held hands with a man other than Lu Chen…

Noticing Qiao Jinniang’s look, Li Yun hurriedly withdrew his hand. “Sorry, Cousin, I shouldn’t have touched your hands.”

Qiao Jinniang comforted softly. “It’s fine.”

After that, Qiao Jinniang and Li Yun walked away together. Junior Duke Rong looked at Lu Chen who was hiding in the bushes dark-faced and said in a low voice,

“Well, Seventh Brother, are you still going down to give Miss Qiao her birthday present?”

Without a word, Lu Chen turned around and jumped down the tree, leaving behind Junior Duke Rong.

Junior Duke Rong really regretted suggesting to Lu Chen to hide in the tree to give Qiao Jinniang a surprise.

But instead of giving Qiao Jinniang a surprise, he was frightened by Qiao Jinniang!

Qiao Jinniang was really bold.

Qiao Jinniang and Li Yun returned to the garden where the banquet was held.

Qiao Ruofeng came over with a smile, jesting, “Cousin, as soon as you came, you went straight to Second Sister. I’m so jealous of her!”

Li Yun blushed shyly.

Qiao Jinniang knew that she was joking, and she said with a smile too, “We’re family. Don’t be jealous, my dear sister.”

Qiao Ruofeng blinked and said, “Yes, we’re family, especially you and Cousin.”

Qiao Ruoshui snorted. “How funny it is! A cheap woman from the countryside finds a mediocre man as her fiancé and shows him off in front of everyone!”

Qiao Ruofeng said angrily, “Qiao Ruoshui, aren’t you crazy? How come you were allowed to come out today?”

Ruofeng looked down on the Li Family a bit too, but Mrs. Li was still her aunt after all, so Qiao Ruoshui’s contempt was undoubtedly an insult to her too.

Qiao Ruoshui glanced at Qiao Jinniang disdainfully. “You want to marry trash. No one will stop you from doing so, but don’t affect my reputation!”

Qiao Jinniang looked at Li Yun apologetically. “Cousin, I’m sorry, my sister is out of her mind.”

Li Yun said, “She is right. It’s true that I don’t deserve you now, but I’ll try to get first place in the Imperial Examination so that no one dares to despise you again.”

Qiao Jinniang smiled. “Okay.”

Qiao Ruoshui snorted coldly, but didn’t burst into fury. She now had a backing anyway. Qiao Jinniang abandoned herself to vice, and she just needed to wait to see her doom!

At the birthday banquet, Qiao Jinniang received a lot of gifts, although it was unknown whether the guests gifted her out of sincerity or because of Duke Anyuan.

The five maids were busy all night unpacking all the birthday gift boxes they had received.

Nuomi held a Ruyi carved with mutton-fat jade and said, “Miss, look at this jade.”

Qiao Jinniang said, “This is the best Hetian mutton-fat jade. Who is this from?”

Nuomi took out a note from the box and said, “It seems to be from Prince Mediocre.”

The note read “A Beautiful Jade for A Beautiful Woman” and it was signed by Prince Mediocre.

She didn’t know why Prince Mediocre gave her a birthday gift, but she had Nuomi place it on the bookcase.

Although mutton-fat jade was precious, Qiao Jinniang had no shortage of it. But it was still nice to put it on the bookcase to add a touch of color.

Qiao Jinniang found that Princess Jinghua gave her a present too. But she had just met her once in the Tasty Pavilion.

Unexpectedly, the princess gifted her a set of red coral head ornaments.

A mammy said something outside the door. Hongling went out and then came in with a small box before saying to Qiao Jinniang, “Miss, this is a gift from Princess Fu’an.”

Qiao Jinniang didn’t want to look at it at first, but then she thought there might be a gift from Tuan’er in the box.

The box was opened, and inside was just some herbs.

Yuyan asked, “Miss, is there something wrong with your eyes?”

Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, “No.”

Yuyan tilted her head and said, “Did the princess send the wrong gift? Cassia seeds, wolfberry, atractylodes, chrysanthemum, dendrobium, etc. are all good medicines for eyes. I had thought that there was something wrong with your eyes.”

Qiao Jinniang frowned. What did the jerk mean? Was he implying that she was blind?

…

In early June, there was a big event in Chang’an, that is, the daughter of the Xie Family, who was well-renowned among nobles, had come to Chang’an.

Old distinguished families were well-respected, and the current royal family, the Lu Family, and the Qiao Family both used to be such families.

There was always a saying that old distinguished families stood even longer than royal families.

After His Majesty ascended the throne, he tried to eliminate the power of the old distinguished families and recruit talents from ordinary families.

Therefore, in the past two decades, the power of old distinguished families had long since declined.

But a lean camel was bigger than a horse. The Xie Family had always been respected by the literati in the country, and the daughters of the Xie Family were also exemplary dignified and virtuous ladies in the eyes of literati.

In the No. 1 private room of the Tasty Pavilion.

Princess Fulu brought Qiao Jinniang to the window, waiting to see the daughter of the Xie Family enter Chang’an.

“What kind of fairy-like character is this Xie Yun? I can finally see her today.”

Qiao Jinniang knew Xie Yun well, so she was not curious. “Just as rumored, she is a dignified, virtuous and beautiful woman.”

Princess Fulu stuck her head out. “Such a woman must be boring, but my imperial uncle thinks that such a woman is suitable to be the crown princess and the mother of the country!

“Li Lingling tried her best to be the crown princess. She must be daydreaming.

“This crown princess will only be Xie Yun. Do you know how much my imperial uncle praised Xie Yun?”

Qiao Jinniang finally figured out why Lu Chen wanted to demote her to be a concubine. He must have felt that she was not worthy of being the mother of the country.

“Here she comes!”

The sedan chair of the Xie Family came over, but it was covered tightly.

Everyone had thought that on such a hot day, the daughter of the Xie Family would not cover the sedan chair so tightly.

Fulu couldn’t help but sigh after not seeing Xie Yun.

“Excuse me, are you Miss Qiao?”

At the door of the No.1 private room, a coy maid in rough clothes suddenly looked inside and asked.

Fulu’s maid who was guarding the door said, “Who are you? Leave!”

Qiao Jinniang said, “Wait, you know me?”

The woman clenched the hem of her dress so tightly that it got wrinkled. Immediately after, she knelt on the ground, ignoring the gazes of other customers, and kowtowed.

“Please, Miss Qiao, don’t drive me away. I will never dare to mess around in the future!

“My parents are dead, and I don’t have any family left.

“Even though the Li Family has given me money, I was forced to drink sterilizing medicine in the past and can’t give birth to children any longer. In this state, I won’t be able to survive if I’m driven out!”

“I dare not ask to be Young Master’s concubine or concubine maid. I just want to be a maid and serve you and Young Master for a lifetime!”

Qiao Jinniang was a little confused. “Please get up. I don’t even know who you are? How can I drive you away?”

Still on her knees, Ruyu kept kowtowing. “I am Ruyu, the maid who served Young Master since I was a child…”

This afternoon, there were many people in the Tasty Pavilion who waited to see Xie Yun. But because they couldn’t see Xie Yun, they were about to leave.

Unexpectedly, there was a good drama for them to watch.

Li Lingling said, “Oh, is she Li Yun’s maid? Miss Qiao, why do you have to be so ruthless to make such a weak woman kneel on the ground?”

“Yeah, get up. Miss Qiao is a kind person and will definitely not bully you.”

Glancing at these noble ladies who were waiting to see her make a joke out of herself, Qiao Jinniang clenched her handkerchief and said to Ruyu, “Since you are the maid of the Li family, I can’t decide whether you can stay or not…”

Ruyu didn’t get up because of this but continued to kowtow so hard that her head began to bleed. “No, Second Miss, my life is in your hands!”

“Please, Second Miss, don’t make the Li Family drive me away!”