Old Madam Qin glared at Qiao Ruoyun and said, “Are they your relatives? My granddaughter-in-law is the eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan. If you admit they’re your relatives, don’t be my granddaughter-in-law!”


  Old Madam Qin didn’t like Qiao Ruoyun at all because she didn’t think Qiao Ruoyun was suitable to be Qin Shu’s wife, but her grandson seemed to be fascinated by her and insisted on not divorcing her!

  Aunt Qiao only said to Qiao Ruoyun, “Hmph! I thought you were a good person, but I didn’t expect you to be less conscious than Qiao Jinniang! You want to send us away without giving us money? No way!” Qiao Ruoyun sobbed helplessly.

  Qin Shu comforted Qiao Ruoyun. “It’s fine. It’s not a big deal. Just give them money.” Then he called his servants. “Come on, give them two thousand taels of silver.” After that, he said to the Qiao clansmen. “This is the last time we give you money. Not again!” Qiao Laowu smiled fawningly and hurriedly saluted. “The Duke Qin Mansion is conscientious, unlike that shameless iron rooster who won’t even fluck a single feather. His Majesty has issued an imperial decree, but she still doesn’t take it seriously!” Qiao Jinniang took a deep breath. Knowing that he was referring to her, she was not annoyed and simply said, “Fifth Uncle, you really let me down. I had thought that if Fourth Uncle’s grandson is not suitable, I would pick your grandson, Yuan’er, to be my adoptive father’s heir. Yuan’er is so lively and cute, but he’s a little older…”


  When Qiao Laowu heard this, he was moved. Yuan’er was his third grandson ,and he had two elder brothers.

  If his grandson could become Qiao Yu’s heir, wouldn’t the Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion be his?

  He must not let Qiao Laosi and Liu Cuihua get their wish.

  It seemed that he should go and discuss it with Qiao Ergou. If Qiao Ergou could help him, he would have a higher chance to get Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion.

  “Jinniang, I was just joking.” When Qiao Laowu and his wife saw the silver taels brought out by the butler of the Qin family, they grinned from ear to ear and kept flattering the Qin family. After seeing them leave, Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Ruoyun, “They’ll never stop. Sister, you shouldn’t have given them money from the beginning.”


  Qin Shu said, “Unlike you, Ruoyun cares about the words of others. She has her own difficulties.”


  Qiao Jinniang said coldly, “Do you mean I’m being nosy? Fine, I’m not going to meddle in this matter again.”


  Qiao Ruoyun hurriedly stepped forward and said to Qiao Jinniang, “Sister, I know you want to protect me, but I still have to maintain the Qin family’s reputation. I’m sorry, Jinniang.”


  Qiao Jinniang said, “My adoptive parents already didn’t treat them as relatives before they died. Why should you recognize these blood-sucking leeches as relatives? But no matter what, you’ve given them money again. What can I say? From now on, I won’t meddle in the matter between the Qiao clansmen and you, Sister!”


  After Qiao Jinniang finished speaking, she left the manor.

  Qiao Ruoyun complained to Qin Shu in a small voice, “Why did you say that to my sister? She is saying that for my good.”


  “I know, but she is not in a position to preach to you. She is alone and doesn’t care about her reputation, but you are different from her!” Qiao Ruoyun sighed heavily, “Alas.”


  Early the next morning, the ceremonial music band blew the horn.

  When Qiao Jinniang woke up, Lu Chen was long gone. She got up and looked at the sky. It looked like dawn had almost passed.

  No wonder the horns and the sound of horses’ hooves stomping had already sounded outside. The hunt had already begun.

  Qiao Jinniang dressed up and went to the paddock in a red riding suit and a white ferret fur cloak.

  In the hot spring villa, men and women were not separated. When Qiao Jinniang arrived, Lu Chen was still waiting for her.

  “Why didn’t you wake me up?” Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen.

  Lu Chen said, “Don’t worry. You’ve just learned to ride horses and your archery skills are not good. You can get hit by a stray arrow in the paddock, so II’ll accompany you so that you’ll be safer.”


  Qiao Jinniang could ride horses, but was really bad at archery. Although cooking was tiring and laborious, those laborious tasks were done by servants.

  She might not even be able to pull the bowstring.

  Into the depths of the forest, there were many dead trees. Lu Chen said in a low voice, “You’d better not leave my sight in these next few days, and don’t get involved in others’ affairs.”


  Qiao Jinniang had heard about the cruelty of royal family members’ fight for the throne, and she didn’t want to die in vain, so she obediently followed Lu Chen’s side.

  She saw a little gray hare in the distance.

  In this hunt, Lu Chen did not prohibit the hunting of hares. After all, in winter, there wouldn’t be much prey if hares were not allowed to be hunted…


  Although Qiao Jinniang was born in the Year of the Rabbit, she didn’t have this taboo. Besides, it was her first time hunting, and she wanted to hunt rabbits more than to protect the life of the rabbits.

  Qiao Jinniang asked Lu Chen to teach her how to draw a bow.

  Lu Chen sat on Qiao Jinniang’s horse, helped her to draw the bow, and aimed the arrow feather at a hare’s leg, “Release!”


  The arrow feather flew out at once. When Qiao Jinniang saw that the hare was shot, she was very happy. “It was shot!”


  Qiao Jinniang got off the horse and picked up the little hare. The arrow feather hit the little hare’s leg, and Qiao Jinniang was just about to pull the arrow off its leg.

  Then she saw Zhou Sisi come over surrounded by a group of noble ladies.

  Zhou Sisi dismounted and said, “Bunny, the bunny I shot!”


  Lu Chen came over on horseback, and when the ladies saw Lu Chen, they all saluted him.

  Qiao Jinniang pointed to the arrow feather on the rabbit and said, “I shot this rabbit. My name is written on the arrow feather.”


  In the paddock, in case someone intentionally wounded people with arrows, names were written on the arrows.

  Tong Yingying next to Zhou Sisi said, “County Mistress, why are you so mean to a girl who is no different from a six-year-old child? Isn’t this like bullying a child?”


  Lu Chen said coldly, “Did your father tell you that you can snatch other people’s things at will just because you’re younger?”


  Tong Yingying hurriedly said, “Your Royal Highness, this is not what I mean, but I just think that instead of killing and eating the poor little hare, County Mistress might as well give it to Miss Zhou and save a living creature.”


  Qiao Jinniang snorted. “If Miss Tong is so kind-hearted, why are you here hunting? Don’t your family eat meat and fish? Saving lives in a hunt? How ridiculous!” Tong Yingying looked at Lu Chen and said, “His Royal Highness is kind-hearted. He once said that rabbits are pitiful and weak and that we should not hunt them. I’m just following His Royal Highness’ words.”


  Lu Chen put his hand on Qiao Jinniang’s waist and said, “I didn’t allow you to hunt rabbits in spring because Jinniang was born in the Year of the Rabbit. But since she doesn’t care about rabbits being hunted, why should I care?”


  Qiao Jinniang smiled. It turned out that the reason Lu Chen didn’t allow rabbits to be hunted at that time was because of her…


  Tong Yingying, who was also born in the Year of the Rabbit, felt that this scene was quite upsetting!

  During the noon break, Qiao Jinniang smelled roasted meat. Junior Duke Rong and Lin Mo hunted a sika deer and made a venison pot.

  Junior Duke Rong said to Qiao Jinniang, “Try our venison pot. It is no worse than the food you make.”