Cao Qingqing looked up and saw that it was her brother-in-law. She quickly wiped away her tears and whispered, "No one bullies me."
Wei Wenbo looked at her with pity: "If you have any difficulties, tell me and I will help you solve them."
Cao Qingqing shook her head, bowed to Wei Wenbai, and quickly ran back to her residence.
She decided that she would go home at the latest after the fifth day of the New Year.
Even if she were to be an old maid for the rest of her life, she would not dare to dream of becoming a second-rank general.
Being his bedmate is certainly exciting, but he also has to like you.
What's more, the princess had an immortal-like appearance and noble status. Compared with her, I was simply inferior to her.
The more Cao Qingqing thought about it, the more ashamed she felt, and she didn't want to stay in the Wei family for a moment.
"Young lady, our mistress wants you to come over." The maid in Cao's room came over to deliver the message.
"I got it." Cao Qingqing looked at herself in the mirror, put some powder around her eyes to cover the red marks at the corners of her eyes, then got up and went to her sister's room.
Cao was sitting on the big kang, stroking a piece of silk. When she saw her sister coming over, she said, "Come and take a look at what this piece of material can be used for."
Cao Qingqing walked forward, sat down on the edge of the kang, and said with little interest: "Let's make a silk skirt. It will be bright and colorful in spring."
Cao glanced at her and asked in a low voice, "Did you meet Qilang just now?"
Cao Qingqing's expression froze and she shook her head: "No."
"You're really useless!" Cao was a little unhappy. She threw the material aside and complained, "What a good opportunity today. If you just talk to him more and be gentle and considerate, which man wouldn't be moved?"
Cao Qingqing curled her lips and suddenly burst into tears, "Sister, I, I want to go home in a few days."
In her entire life, she had never been looked down upon like this before. Wei Qilang didn't even bother to look at her.
"What? Go home?" Cao was even more unhappy. "If I had known that you didn't want to stay in the Wei family, why would I have brought you here? What? Do you think that if you go home, your parents will find you a good marriage?"
Seeing that Cao Qingqing still didn't say anything, Cao said angrily, "With your mother's little ability, can she find a better family than the Wei family? Although she is a concubine, Qilang is a second-rank general. Even the county magistrate has to respect his concubine!"
The more Cao looked at her sister, the more she felt helpless. She waved her hand and said, "Alright, don't cry here on New Year's Day. Go back. When your husband returns to the capital after the New Year, you can go with him. If you can't find a good family in the future, don't blame me, your sister, for not helping you."
Upon hearing this, Cao Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief, bowed to her sister, and hurried back to the side room where she lived.
On the second day of the New Year, just after daybreak, several carriages and dozens of guards set out from the Princess's Mansion, passed through the city gate, and headed for Qinchuan County.
The carriage traveled very fast and arrived at Qinchuan County in the afternoon.
As soon as so many people entered the city and saw the emblem on the carriage, the guards guarding the gate ran to the county government to report.
When the carriage arrived at Jiang's house next to the specialty shop, we saw a crowd of people standing at the door.
There are county magistrates, as well as other officials such as chief clerks.
There are also Jiang Sanlang and his wife, as well as Jiang Dalang and Jiang Erlang's families.
"Greetings to the princess! Greetings to the general!" The county magistrate and a group of people were the first to salute.
Wei Zhan jumped off the carriage and quickly helped the man up: "You don't have to be so polite, sir." He then said to the others: "No need to be polite."
Jiang Sanlang smiled and invited the county magistrate and his colleagues to his home: "Mingfu, please come in and talk. Everyone, please come in and have a seat."
He knew that his daughter was coming home today, so he had prepared a banquet and dishes, and also invited his parents and his eldest and second brothers to come over.
Chunniang held her daughter's hand and smiled at her son-in-law, "We are finally home. You must have had a hard journey. Come in and warm yourself up. I have asked someone to heat the kang in your room."
Yingbao smiled and nodded, then walked into the yard with her husband.
Chunniang saw Wuyang being held by Anrou, and pinched his tiger hat, exclaiming: "It's only been a short time, and he has changed so much, and has become even whiter."
Wuyang smiled at Chunniang: "Auntie!"
"Oh my! You can call people now. Call me grandma." Chunniang carried Wuyang over and walked into the house: "Come on, grandma will get you something delicious."
Wuyang stared at Chunniang curiously for a while, then looked around, not feeling shy at all.
Yingbao followed A Niang back to the house, while Wei Zhan was invited to the main house to talk with the county magistrate and others.
The eldest aunt Zhou, the second aunt Yan Ru, and Jiang Cheng's wife Qiu Rong followed Yingbao into the west room.
After a round of greetings, the eldest aunt Zhou said, "Your grandmother and grandfather are over at Plum Blossom Lane. Da Ni and Er Ni are also here. They didn't come over because they thought there would be too many people here today."
Yingbao nodded: "I will go to pay New Year's greetings to my grandparents tomorrow, and I will also meet my elder sister and second sister."
She hadn't seen them for several years, and she didn't even know that Er Ni was married.
Qiu Rong smiled and said, "Yingbao, I haven't seen you for many years. I almost didn't recognize you."
She was just a naive little girl back then, but now she has become a young lady with a stunning aura. Although her facial features have not changed much, she looks extremely majestic and people dare not look directly at her.
Yingbao smiled: "I am already eighteen years old, so I must look different than before. Sister-in-law, why didn't you bring Dali and the others?"
Qiu Rong: "I was afraid that they would make trouble, so I left them in the care of my parents. I will take them to Plum Blossom Lane tomorrow."
Yingbao nodded and asked Mudan and the others to move all the gifts into the house and distribute them to everyone one by one.
Most of these gifts were new silk and satin, as well as pearl flowers, toys, pens, ink, paper and inkstones for nephews and nieces.
As for grandparents and Da Ni and Er Ni, we will send them off when we go to Meihua Lane tomorrow.
A few people sat together and talked for a while, and Aunt Zhou asked about Yuanbao and Jiang Quan.
Yingbao said: "Brother Yuanbao is studying in the Imperial College now. He will probably take the examination next year."
"My second brother married a woman who was a maid in the palace. She is a very nice person and has a clean family background. You and your uncle can go to the capital to see her when Brother Yuanbao takes the exam next year."
If Yuanbao passed the imperial examination and ranked high, he would definitely be able to stay in the capital as an official. After that, his uncle and aunt could come to the capital to visit relatives, or simply stay in the capital to live.
After all, uncle and the others still have to arrange Yuanbao's marriage.
Zhou sighed and said sadly, "Since your second brother went to the capital, he hasn't even sent a letter. If Yuanbao hadn't written back in advance, I wouldn't have known that Erquan got married."
Yingbao blinked and explained for her second cousin: "My second brother is very busy every day. He was still busy in the shop on the first day of his wedding."
Yan Ru agreed with a smile: "Erquan was indeed very busy, and we were in the capital with our parents at the time, so he didn't write back."
Yingbao added, "My second cousin also said that when he makes enough money, he will buy a big house in the capital and take my aunt and uncle there to live there in their old age."
"Did he really say that?" Zhou's resentment disappeared, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised: "My father and I don't want to go to the capital to retire. We have so many chickens and ducks at home, and two fat pigs, we can't leave them alone."