While being escorted by the city guards out of Minshun Boulevard, Elderly Lady looked back unresignedly at the marquis’s estate’s tightly shut main door.

  On the contrary, Xu Jiao didn’t say anything, but her eyes were flickering with avarice as she stared back scorchingly at the marquis’s estate.

  She understood the eldest branch couple too well. They were people who simply couldn’t harden their hearts.

  She reckoned that it wouldn’t even take three days for the Qiao Zhongbang couple to give in and call on them to visit!

  Ultimately, the old hag was a bargaining chip in her hands. As long as she had the old hag in hand, she could assure that the eldest branch couple would be submissive and docile.

  Thus, how could she allow the old lady to continue lingering at the marquis’s estate?

  Even if she had to forcibly seize her, she definitely had to wrest control over the old lady!

  Xu Jiao humphed lightly, and flung away Elderly Lady’s hand after leaving the marquis’s estate.

  Their family of three had just taken a beating, so their footsteps weren’t all that nimble.

  Her son Qiao Long was the most miserable. Not only did his butt suffer heavy injury, his mouth had also been beaten rotten by the bamboo plank. In addition to her heartache, Xu Jiao couldn’t help but hate Qiao Mu to death on the inside.

  That degenerate little b*tch! Just because His Highness the Crown Prince doted on her, she dared to torment her darling son like this. One day, she would definitely make her taste the misery of being tortured like this.

  Hmph, men’s favor comes quickly and leaves quickly.

  Not to mention, that person was also the great Mo Kingdom crown prince, second only to the king himself. How could it be possible for him to stay faithful to the b*tchy little hussy? That girl would inevitably lose his favor, at which time she would make her pay her debt in blood……

  Elderly Lady started wheezing after taking several steps. She had lived a pampered lifestyle, and her body had gotten used to the luxury. Every time she had to go somewhere, she would take either the palanquin or the carriage, so it wasn’t necessary for her to walk on her own two feet at all.

  Glancing back at Old Madam, Xu Jiao scolded “Cursed old woman” in her mind, but she still feigned a virtuous appearance on the outside, helping Elderly Lady up onto Granny Niu’s donkey cart.

  At this time, she still had to rely on this old woman. Everything would be fine once she came back to the marquis’s estate one day.

  Before the Qiao Zhongbang couple came to look for them, she had to wait upon this old woman well and let her know that she was the utmost filial.

  However, this time, Xu Jiao’s scheme was bound to end up totally fruitless.

  These years, Qiao Zhongbang had already been utterly disappointed in his mother time and time again. He was not going to propose bringing back the old lady on his own accord.

  Besides, since it was the crown prince who gave the order this time to send this “old master Buddha”[1] out the marquis’s estate so that Third Brother’s family could fulfill their

  “filial duty,” he of course wasn’t dumb and just had to go along with the flow.

  As for Wei Ziqin, her heart had long grown cold, as well. She was more than eager for the third branch to wait upon this “old master Buddha” and bring her far away. It was best if they never came back to disturb them.

  At this time, Xu Jiao still didn’t realize the eldest branch couple’s intentions, so she and Qiao Zhongheng spared no effort in showing “filial respect” to the old lady the entire time. They took everything into consideration in making her comfortable, which consoled Old Madam greatly.

  She was thinking that even though her eldest and second sons weren’t filial, driving her out the marquis’s estate even at her advanced age, it was still fortunate that she still had a filial youngest son and daughter-in-law. Hence, she couldn’t be considered to be too tragic.

  After the group of tattered beggars were escorted out of Minshun Boulevard, they gazed at the busy people coming and going on the street. They practically didn’t know where to go.

  They didn’t have money, and they had almost eaten up all their food. They didn’t even have a place to stay at the moment. What were they to do!

  Qiao Zhongheng was already starting to regret it now. He was rueing, why did he have to pose as a big shot and act high-and-mighty just now. He should’ve just pitifully begged to hug onto his eldest brother’s thigh!

  [1] nickname for Empress Dowager Cixi