Chapter 16 016 Wedding Gift

Chapter 16 016 Wedding Gift

Because of the marriage to the Qin family, Qiao Zhuofan had been in good spirits lately, always smiling and appearing approachable. He was even more active at court, relishing the flattery and sycophancy from his colleagues. Having tasted the feeling of being elevated and admired, he no longer wanted to return to the days when he was looked down upon.

Qiao Zhuofan thought to himself that it would be better to settle Wanyue's marriage first to avoid unforeseen delays. Yingxin's marriage could wait. The alliance with the Qin family could not be taken lightly. He would go back and prepare the dowry list first, and wait for Qin Yan to come with the betrothal gifts.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Qiao Zhuofan grinned, unable to contain his joy, and decided to go to the Qin residence that very day to ask Qin Yan when he would come to present the betrothal gifts, so the Qiao family could prepare.

"Steward, prepare the carriage."

Without even changing out of his court clothes, Qiao Zhuofan ordered the steward to ready the carriage. He was going out.

The steward was old and moved a bit slowly. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said, "Master, you’re back. The eldest young lady is throwing a tantrum. Please go take a look."

"What’s going on?"

Qiao Zhuofan's good mood instantly vanished. He asked impatiently, thinking that if Qiao Yingxin was causing trouble again, he would send her back to the countryside to keep her from stirring things up.

"It’s about the dowry. She heard that you gave Qingshan Manor to the second young lady, and she’s not happy about it. She’s making a scene."

"She still dares to cause trouble?"

His temper flared. Qiao Zhuofan had completely lost patience. If Qiao Yingxin’s antics ruined the marriage again, he would not let her off easy.

He stormed toward the front hall. Just as he reached the doorway, a cup flew straight at him. Qiao Zhuofan’s eyes widened in shock. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, or the cup would have hit him in the face.

With a crack, the cup shattered. Qiao Zhuofan’s roar followed: "What are you doing? Haven’t you caused enough trouble? Not ashamed enough?"

If it weren’t for Qiao Wanyue marrying Qin Yan, the affair between her and Ding Chengyou would have caused an even bigger scandal. And now she was throwing a fit over a manor—so reckless.

Qiao Yingxin lowered her raised hand, setting the vase casually on the table. Seeing Qiao Zhuofan arrive, her anger not only did not subside but grew even stronger.

She couldn’t understand. She was the real daughter of the Qiao family. Why was her father favoring Qiao Wanyue? Was he getting old and losing his mind? Or had he been bewitched by that mother-daughter pair?

Today, she would get to the bottom of it.

Qiao Yingxin stepped forward angrily. Her delicate face was full of anger, giving her a sharp, fierce look.

"Father, just in time."

Slap. A loud slap landed on Qiao Yingxin’s cheek. Her fair face instantly swelled red, the handprint clearly visible, showing how much force was used. The pain on her face was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. She had been hit for the first time—because of Qiao Wanyue. It was all her fault.

The sharp sound could be heard from afar. The steward shook his head and sighed. He had the foresight to send the others away and keep his distance.

Because of that slap, Qiao Yingxin took a long time to come to her senses. The pain was followed by grievance and resentment, along with confusion. She didn’t understand. She really didn’t. She was the one wronged, and she was the one beaten. What had she done wrong?

Tears blurred her vision. The Qiao Zhuofan before her seemed different from the man she once knew. She almost didn’t recognize him. Wiping away her tears, she looked again—yes, he really was different.

Qiao Yingxin held back her tears and demanded, "Father, you hit me. Why? I am your own daughter, and you could do this? Are you out of your mind? You’ve never hit me before."

She had never been hit even as a child for mistakes. Now, just because she broke a few vases, he struck her. As others said, with a stepmother, there’s no real father. That was absolutely right.

Qiao Zhuofan’s hand trembled slightly but soon steadied. "You’ve turned the household upside down. Do I need to remind you?"

Qiao Yingxin moved her hand away from her face. She still didn’t understand, and she wasn’t backing down. "If you hadn’t given Qingshan Manor to her, I wouldn’t have made a scene. You forced me."

She argued vehemently, her anger reaching its peak. Her face twisted, losing all the grace of a proper young lady. Watching her frenzied state, Qiao Zhuofan felt he barely recognized her. He took a deep breath, suddenly calming down. In a level tone, he said, "You are my own flesh and blood. Naturally, I want you to marry well. That’s why I humbled myself to find a matchmaker and arrange the marriage with the Qin family. But you—you threw away a life of wealth and honor, and instead set your heart on Ding Chengyou. Brazenly carrying on an illicit affair, caught red-handed by the Qin family. Where am I supposed to put my old face? I have no face to show anyone."

"Now that Qin Yan is marrying your little sister, the Qin family is a prominent house. Her dowry must be generous."

He glanced at her coldly. "The Ding family is small and insignificant. Why would they need a large dowry? Unless they want you to take a son-in-law into the family?"

Qiao Yingxin had no retort because what Qiao Zhuofan said was the truth. She was the one who refused to marry Qin Yan. But that was no excuse to reduce her dowry.

"You’re just being partial. You’re using the Ding family as an excuse to give my share to Qiao Wanyue."

"What share is yours? I am not dead yet. I decide who gets what. Whoever marries into the Qin family will have Qingshan Manor as part of the dowry."

Qingshan Manor belonged to Qiao Zhuofan, not from her mother. So he could give it to whomever he pleased. It was his decision.

Qiao Yingxin opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. She would never admit that Qiao Zhuofan was right. She only thought he was biased. She lifted her chin and glared at him defiantly.

Meeting her gaze, Qiao Zhuofan softened a little. "Your father is getting old. Without support at court, every step is difficult. An alliance with the Qin family would let me rise. Yingxin, things are settled. Stop making a fuss."

His tone was helpless, almost pleading. The grievance in Qiao Yingxin’s heart dissipated by half. She had never seen him so dejected, so full of bitterness and helplessness.

Her father was truly old.

Qiao Yingxin gave a low "mm" in agreement, accepting his decision.

Qiao Zhuofan’s expression relaxed. He nodded with satisfaction. "Have the Ding family send the betrothal gifts soon. Don’t delay."

"Aren’t we going to pick an auspicious day?"

She wanted to choose a lucky date, but clearly, Qiao Zhuofan couldn’t be bothered. He just wanted to marry her off quickly.

"No need. Aren’t you eager to marry?"

Qiao Zhuofan brushed it off. Now that he was focused on the Qin family marriage, he had little patience for her. To marry the man she loved, Qiao Yingxin gritted her teeth and endured.

"Fine."

The quarrel ended with a peaceful exchange between father and daughter.

Qiao Wanyue stopped at the doorway. Seeing that everything had calmed down, she turned back, hopping along carefully.

Zhu Qing supported her, and once they were out of the hall, she said softly, "We shouldn’t have come. Your foot is still injured."

"It’s fine. I’ll be careful."

Since the matter involved her, she had to show up.

Qiao Wanyue wondered what to do with Qingshan Manor. From Qiao Zhuofan’s attitude, refusing it wasn’t an option. She would accept it for now and decide later.

Yes, that was the plan.

So Qiao Wanyue didn’t bring it up again, wanting to avoid unnecessary conflict.

These days, Qiao Wanyue stayed home recovering and didn’t go out. Before long, it was the day of Qiao Yingxin and Ding Chengyou’s betrothal. The household was lively.

May brought good weather, and with the happy occasion, joy filled the air. Qiao Wanyue was in high spirits too.

-

As Zhu Qing combed her hair, she said, "The eldest young lady is having her betrothal. What are you so happy about? It’s not yours."

Qiao Wanyue looked at herself in the mirror and thought she had gained weight from staying indoors. She touched her face. "My foot was hurt and I couldn’t walk. Su Su was also stuck at home. Now that my foot is better, Su Su can come out too. She’s coming today. Of course I’m happy."

Zhu Qing let out an "oh." So it wasn’t because of the eldest young lady’s betrothal, but because she was meeting her friend.

After getting dressed, she heard a commotion outside. The guests were almost all present. Qiao Wanyue straightened her hem and stood up, went to the courtyard to find Lin Susu.

Male and female guests were separated. The ladies were probably in the back garden at the moment, so Qiao Wanyue went directly to the back garden.

She looked around for Lin Susu, and finally, she spotted Lin Susu among the crowd.

She was chatting and laughing with three or four girls. Although she was smiling, Qiao Wanyue noticed impatience in her eyes—she didn't really want to talk to them.

Qiao Wanyue chuckled to the side, standing there without going over. Only once Lin Susu had nearly finished with them did she wave over.

The moment Lin Susu saw her, her eyes lit up. She lifted her skirt and trotted over.

The close friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time were very excited. From a distance, they opened their arms for a hug.

"Yueyue, my little darling."

"Susu, my little darling."

The two hugged each other, so intimate that it made those around them awkward. Their commotion quickly drew attention. They separated with slightly flushed faces, glanced at each other, and couldn't help but lower their heads and laugh.

"Susu, did your father allow you to go out?"

Perhaps because they hadn't seen each other for so long, they both missed each other and were especially close. They walked arm in arm, like conjoined twins, not wanting to part.

They leaned on each other, having a very good relationship.

"I was grounded for ages, and he's finally letting me out. Look at my finger—I was pricked by an embroidery needle and it hurts like crazy."

The pampered girl's finger still hadn't healed, making anyone who saw it feel sorry for her.

Qiao Wanyue rubbed it for her. "Oh, poor thing. Luckily, you won't have to do embroidery from now on."

Lin Susu patted her hand to comfort her that it was okay. For now, she wanted to ask about her engagement, as that was the most important thing.

"Don't talk about me. Tell me about yourself. Are you really going to marry my brother-in-law?" "Mm."

Qiao Wanyue glanced around. "I'm going to marry him. It's not up to me. In a few days, they're sending the betrothal gifts and setting the date. My father is so anxious that he's dying for me to get married tomorrow."

Lin Susu comforted her, "Don't worry. My brother-in-law is fine except for being a bit strict. What should I call you from now on?"

"Just call me by my name. Or do you want to call me 'sister'?"

They started laughing. "That's not a bad idea."

They walked along the corridor, speaking in very low voices, worried someone might overhear them.

"You're going to get married soon, and it won't be convenient to go out. While you're still unmarried, let's go out and have some fun while we can."

She agreed with Lin Susu's suggestion; she had been thinking the same.

She snuggled up to Lin Susu and whispered, "Stay at my place tonight. Let's chat. I'm afraid we won't have another chance later."

Lin Susu nodded repeatedly, blinking excitedly. "As soon as I heard you were getting married, I've put together a bunch of wedding gifts. I'll show you tonight. Practice them before the wedding, they'll come in handy later."

"What gifts?" The sly Susu smiled mischievously, leaned in and whispered something in her ear. The next moment, the young girl's face flushed red, looking utterly embarrassed, and she lowered her eyes.