Chapter 70 - Abandoned Woman
Chapter 70: Abandoned Woman
Today was Girl’s Day, so it was very crowded on the street. As soon as this incident happened, everyone gathered around.
Jinniang’s brother took off his jacket and took Qiao Ruofeng from the man in black.
Jinniang’s brother was only one year older than Qiao Ruofeng. The two grew up together. When he saw his cousin attempting suicide, he was very angry. “Why did you do such a stupid thing?”
Jinniang stepped forward, supported Qiao Ruofeng, and said to the man in black, “Thank you for saving my sister. Duke Anyuan Mansion is very grateful to you. Please let my maid help you change wet clothes in case you catch a cold.”
Xu Mingwei cupped his hands and said to Qiao Jinniang, “Second Miss, you’re welcome. As a person who practices martial arts, I’m not afraid of cold water.”
Qiao Ruofeng was still a little conscious and couldn’t stop crying. “Why did you save me? I’ve lost my reputation. He would rather marry Qiao Ruoshui than me… I’m a joke.”
Xu Mingwei cupped his hands and said, “I often hear my sister-in-law mention Sixth Miss. She really misses you. Is reputation more important than life?”
When Qiao Jinniang heard “sister-in-law”, she knew who the man was. He should be Qiao Ruoshui’s poor fiancé, Xu Mingwei.
Qiao Ruofeng still cried and said, “I’d rather die than be pointed and laughed at.”
Jinniang said to Qiao Ruofeng,”Since you are not even afraid of death, why should you be afraid of losing your reputation?
“If I were you, I would take the man who cheated me to die with me. Even if you die, the man will still marry other women and will still be a high-ranking prince!”
“Your death will only hurt the people who love you. Your grandmother is already heartbroken after you made that mistake. She is old. Can she endure the pain of losing her granddaughter?”
Qiao Ruofeng closed her eyes and said, “But he is a prince. What can I do to him? If I take revenge, the whole Qiao Family will be implicated by me!”
Jinniang said, “I don’t know what others will think, but if you really can kill the man who cheated you, I won’t blame you even if I am beheaded because of you.”
Jinniang’s brother said on the side. “Me neither.”
Qiao Ruoyi listened and shivered. She didn’t want to die. She still wanted to live. She said weakly, “Second sister, Sixth Sister is still wet, let’s go back first?”
Back in the Duke Mansion, after Second Madam heard the news, she rushed over, crying bitterly and cursing Prince Mediocre madly.
The Duchess didn’t quite sympathize with them because they slandered Qiao Jinniang.
But she watched Qiao Ruofeng grow up. She didn’t want Qiao Ruofeng to die at such a young age.
“It’s alright. It’s humiliating to be thrown into jail, but it won’t kill you.” The Duchess advised, “You’re still young. After you get married in a few years, people will probably forget about this matter. There will always be a way out. At worst, you can find a man to marry into your family. You can still live your life.”
Second Madam hugged Qiao Ruofeng and said, “Yeah, Feng’er, don’t be stupid. I only have two daughters. I want you to live happily.”
On the night of Qixi Festival, because of Qiao Ruofeng, it was late into the night when Qiao Jinniang returned to the Jin Garden.
Yuyan came in from the outside and said, “Miss, this is the Qixi Festival gift from Princess Fu’an.”
Qiao Jinniang took the wooden box and opened it, and inside was a silver hairpin.
It was the silver hairpin that Lu Chen gifted her but she threw away during the Lantern Festival.
“Petty!” Qiao Jinniang closed the box. “Throw it away.”
Qiao Ruofeng even wanted to commit suicide because of a royal family member, so she wouldn’t want to go on the same route as Qiao Ruofeng.
Hence, this silver hairpin was such an eyesore.
Nuomi said, “Don’t, Miss, this is worth a tael of silver anyway. It can buy a lot of food.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Okay, it’s yours. You can use it to buy food.”
Nuomi smiled and said, “Thank you, Miss.”
Nuomi excitedly went to the vendors on the street with the silver hairpin and traded it for a lot of snacks.
She ate one but soon spat it out.
This craftsmanship was far inferior to that of Miss. She regretted trading the silver hairpin for these unpalatable snacks.
…
The next day, in the early morning, Qiao Ruoshui left the Duke Mansion in a small sedan chair.
If not told, who would have thought that this was the wedding of the daughter of a duke?
Qiao Jinniang watched from a distance and couldn’t help but sigh. She turned and saw the burly man in black that she had met last night.
“Young Master Xu.”
“Second Miss, you don’t have to be so polite. Just call me by my name.” Xu Mingwei smiled. “After my sister-in-law heard about you, she wanted to go back to Chang’an to meet you, but she is pregnant, so she has to wait until her child is older before she can return to Chang’an.”
Qiao Jinniang smiled too. This younger sister of hers, who was only a few days younger than her, was rarely mentioned by people in the Duke Mansion.
She just heard that when he was in the Duke Mansion, she was even duller than Qiao Ruoyun.
“I have never met her but I’m looking forward to seeing her soon. Please give my regards to Third Sister, Young Master Xu.”
Seeing the two of them from a distance, the Duke said to the Duchess who was beside him, “Look at Jinniang and Xu Mingwei, aren’t they a perfect match? Except for the fact that he is stationed far away from Chang’an, Xu Mingwei is a perfect choice for a husband.”
The Duchess snorted softly, “Mother said that Jinniang is not in a hurry to get married. Let’s wait for His Royal Highness to return.”
The Duke said, “Mother is always wise, but she is wrong this time. When His Royal Highness comes back, he’ll definitely not allow Jinniang to marry another man. I think Xu Mingwei is very good.”
The Duchess sneered. “You can marry him yourself. Leave my daughter alone. I won’t even allow Ruoyi to marry so far away, let alone Jinniang.”
Ruoyin was indeed living a good life in the southwest, but it had been almost three years since she was married, and she couldn’t even go home. The duchess couldn’t bear the pain of separation.
The Duke stroked his beard. “Let me ask Jinniang. I think Jinniang has no bad feelings for Mingwei. If Jinniang is willing to marry him, don’t stop her.”
…
The Prince Mediocre Mansion was decorated with red silk, and it was night time.
Qiao Ruoshui sat on the bed, looking complacent.
Although her wedding was shabby, she was still the concubine of Prince Mediocre who would become the next emperor. “Come on, go check why His Highness hasn’t come over.”
“Concubine Qiao, His Highness has gone to Hengwu Garden to sleep.”
Qiao Ruoshui clenched her fist angrily. The third daughter of the right prime minister was granted to be Prince Mediocre’s concubine together with her, but in terms of family background, that b*tch was way inferior to her!
Qiao Ruoshui ignored the obstruction of the servants and maids, hurried to Hengwu Garden, and heard the conversation inside.
“Your Highness, I know you treat me with sincerity. The last two years were the best time of my life, when we exchanged letters and expressed love to each other. Although I married you as a concubine, I am already satisfied.
“Qiao Ruoshui is insensible and wayward. If you want to win over Duke Anyuan’s support, you should spend this night with her.
“I don’t mind sacrificing myself for your future.”
When Qiao Ruoshui heard this, she was furious. The person who was talking was the third daughter of the Jian family. This woman always liked to play vulnerable.
Prince Mediocre said, “The one I want to marry is Qiao Jinniang, but unfortunately I failed to make her marry me. Qiao Ruoshui is a crazy and unreasonable woman. I don’t know why my mother and grandmother want me to marry her!
“Today, Duke Anyuan Mansion arranged her marriage so perfunctorily, which is a sign of them drawing a clear line with me. I don’t want to see that disgusting woman.
“Moreover, I already don’t like her in the first place. I just didn’t know that my grandmother had issued such a decree. If I had known earlier, I would have made her cancel it.”
Although Prince Mediocre cast a wide net among the noble girls in Chang’an, he was not unselective.
“Qiao Ruofeng was raised by the Old Madam of Duke Anyuan Mansion. She is smart and obedient. Qiao Jinniang is graceful and approachable although she was raised outside, but Qiao Ruoshui is stupid, ignorant and incompetent. I don’t want to have such a stupid woman as my concubine.”
Qiao Ruoshui was infuriated.
Does Prince Mediocre know that Qiao Jinniang is an abandoned woman?
She must return this humiliation to Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruofeng in full..