The sky was getting darker, and the orange light shone on Duan Shaoqing's face, making it look a little dark yellow.
In fact, Duan Shaoqing's face was pale at the moment.
He strode towards the carriage parked on the side of the road, and on the way back his mood fluctuated violently.
"The great master is back——"
Duan Shaoqing didn't even look at the disciple and went straight to Yaxinyuan.
The lights were brightly lit in Yaxin Garden, and Mrs. Qiao was sitting by the bed with a gloomy expression.
She had also heard about the rumors outside, but she didn't dare to let the old lady know yet. I called the guard who accompanied me out that day for questioning and went through it carefully from beginning to end. It turned out that the problem was Xiaolian.
The maid cried in public, was it unintentional or intentional?
Thinking of this, Mrs. Qiao looked a little ferocious, and she had the urge to get rid of Xiaolian.
From the moment he ordered the concubine to push Kou Qingqing off the cliff, for Qiao, it was like breaking a barrier and releasing the evil ghost in her heart.
But no.
Qiao was still rational and shook her head.
There are already rumors outside that neither Kou Qingqing nor her personal maid Xiaolian can move.
Do we really want Chen'er to marry Kou Qingqing according to the old lady's wishes?
Strong unwillingness arose in Qiao's heart.
An orphaned girl whose father and mother were overshadowed, what help would Chen'er get from marrying her? As for that large sum of property, it will obviously belong to the Shaoqing Mansion once Kou Qingqing dies.
They are the legitimate sons of the eldest wife. There is no doubt that this property will fall into the hands of the old lady in a hundred years, and the second brother-in-law can only share a sip of soup.
But Kou Qingqing did not die, and the people in the capital noticed the originally low-key Shaoqing Mansion.
Mrs. Qiao knew that if she refused this marriage, even if the old lady didn't want to, she would have to forget it in the end.
But she couldn't take the risk.
Kou Qingqing's marriage was completely decided by the old lady, and the old lady obviously did not want the Kou family's property to go to outsiders. She refused the marriage, and the old lady turned around and could match up Duan Yunlang, the second wife, with her granddaughter.
By then, this large amount of property, as Kou Qingqing's dowry, would all go to the second wife. No one would be willing to spit out such a large amount of money, and it would not be so easy for her to reach out for it in the future.
It seemed that Chen'er would be wronged if she could only hold her nose and accept this marriage.
Mrs. Qiao felt sorry for her son for a moment, and her eyes became fierce.
If you want everything to go smoothly from now on, there is one more thing you need to do.
Kou Qingqing seemed to be remembering. Once she regained her memory, she would definitely know who pushed her down. When the time comes for a confrontation, if the girl can't bear it and confesses her, it will be a big trouble.
Only the dead cannot speak.
"master."
The maid's greeting came from outside the door.
Mrs. Qiao only had time to calm down her expression before Duan Shaoqing walked around the screen and walked in.
The smell of alcohol hit his face, and Mrs. Qiao greeted him with a smile: "Master——"
Duan Shaoqing grabbed her wrist and asked sharply: "What's going on with the noise outside?"
The maid at the door was so shocked that she forgot to react, and Mrs. Qiao flew over with a glare: "Everyone, get down!"
In a blink of an eye, only the couple was left. Qiao frowned: "Did Master drink too much?"
"Why did you drink too much! Didn't you hear the news outside?" Duan Shaoqing asked, staring at Mr. Qiao closely.
Mrs. Qiao forced a smile: "I heard that, it's all nonsense. Do you believe it?"
"Of course it's nonsense, but how could such a rumor spread?" Duan Shaoqing felt annoyed when he thought about those ugly words.
The huge wealth brought by Qingqing is indeed exciting, but as long as he gets married to his son, isn't it the best of both worlds? Isn't it ridiculous for those people to say that he wants to harm his biological niece?
"It's all caused by frightened horses..."
Duan Shaoqing's expression turned even worse when he mentioned Jingma: "Do you know who saved Qingqing?"
Qiao shook her head: "The righteous man didn't leave his name. The old lady asked for details."
"He is the envoy of Jinlin Guard Town and the Marquis of Changle He Qingxiao!"
Mrs. Qiao was stunned, and then her expression changed.
"I met him when I came out after drinking today, and he specifically asked about Qingqing..."
The more Duan Shaoqing continued, the worse Qiao's face became.
"Mother doesn't know about the rumors outside, right?"
"I don't dare to let her old man know about it for the time being."
"Then just hide it for now and let everyone in the family keep their mouths shut."
"knew."
Duan Shaoqing's tone was gentle, and he listened carefully but with a warning: "Madam, you are in charge of the family, so you must take good care of Qingqing, so that the rumors will not get worse and damage the reputation of Shaoqing's house."
"Don't worry, sir, I know."
Duan Shaoqing nodded, then washed up and went to sleep.
Due to Qiao's restraint, the gossip outside did not reach the old lady's ears. It was time to say hello, and everything seemed to be calm.
On the way back from Ruyi Hall, Xinyou stopped and looked up at the sky.
"What is the girl looking at?" Xiaolian asked curiously.
"It's a nice day today."
Although it was still morning, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.
Xiaolian also looked up at the sky and agreed with a smile: "Yes, but it's even hotter."
Xin You glanced at the lotus-colored figure walking in front.
In the past few days, Duan Yunwan's condition has become worse and worse, and it has reached the point where he can no longer hide it.
Xin You remembered that Duan Yunwan and Duan Yunling came and went together a few days ago, but now she had no intention of pulling Duan Yunling in a gesture of sisterly affection, and allowed Duan Yunling to walk ahead.
Xin You quickened her pace and caught up with Duan Yunwan.
"Cousin Wan."
The girl's soft voice made Duan Yunwan stiffen.
"Cousin Qing, is there something wrong?" Duan Yunwan forced a smile.
Xin You smiled: "There is something I want to talk to Cousin Wan about. Cousin Wan, let's go to Wanqingju for a cup of tea."
Duan Yunwan's whole body became even more tense: "Let's wait for another day, I still have some things to do today..."
Xin You curled her lips: "I seem to have remembered something again. Does Cousin Wan really have no time to sit here?"
Duan Yunwan's expression changed completely, and she looked at Xin You with trembling lips, unable to say a word.
Xin You smiled sweetly: "Cousin Wan, come find me whenever you have free time today. I'll wait for you at Wanqingju."
After saying that, she took Xiaolian Shi Shiran and left.
Duan Yunwan was left behind and returned to her room like a ghost, not even noticing the surprised look from Duan Yunling who lived in the same courtyard.
"Girl, do you think the eldest girl will come?"
"She will come." Xin You said firmly.
"But what if she goes to tell the eldest lady that you have recovered your memory?"
Xin You was not Kou Qingqing, so of course she couldn't recover any memories, she was just trying to trick Duan Yunwan.
Compared to Xiao Lian's worries, Xin You was particularly calm: "Don't worry, she won't dare. Even if she really goes and says it, what can the eldest lady do to me if she knows that I have remembered the details of the cliff fall?"
Those rumors were a shield for her, and the eldest wife was a sword hanging over her head.
As Xin You expected, Duan Yunwan came over quietly soon.
