Ignoring the compliments between Liu Ji and Mr. Ding, Qin Yao turned her head to look at Ding Xiang, who was so shocked that her mouth was wide open, and asked in a low voice:

"Master Ding brought you and your sister into the family?"

"Ah?" Ding Xiang was stunned for a moment.

Qin Yao coughed twice to cover up her embarrassment and asked again, "Is your father married?"

This time, Ding Xiang understood and explained seriously that her father did not marry into the family.

But the marriage is real.

"Do you know why I came to your house?" Ding Xiang asked in a low voice.

After Qin Yao learned that Mr. Ding had remarried, she already had some guesses in her mind.

"Aren't you going to come back?"

Ding Xiang nodded, her mood obviously depressed. She was actually a little scared and confused.

So before leaving, I had to meet Qin Yao.

She didn't care about her father and brother's intentions. She just wanted to see Qin Yao and ask her, "What should I do? Can you teach me?"

After the New Year, Ding Xiang was fourteen years old.

This is an age when people can talk about marriage, and some have already been engaged.

Ding Xiang was very clear about one thing. After her father told her and her brother that he had married the widowed concubine's daughter of the Hushi Supervisor, her marriage would become a bargaining chip for her father to consolidate his position in the capital.

Fortunately, she is not a pessimistic person and will not easily give up on her fate.

But there wasn't much she could do. At most, she could choose the most acceptable conditions for herself within a limited range.

Another thing that made Ding Xiang feel fortunate was that after her father came back, he not only stopped stopping her from practicing riding and archery, but also encouraged her to go out more often.

My father said that the more distinguished the ladies in Kyoto were, the more they wanted to show up in public.

On Chang'an Street, the most prosperous street in Kyoto, all the patrolling guards are female soldiers.

Those female soldiers held power and were all from the most noble families in Sheng State. Any newly crowned scholar who passed by would be stopped by them on the street and teased.

Mr. Ding, who had just arrived in Kyoto, was so shocked by what he saw that his eyes almost popped out of his head.

The noble ladies of this prosperous country are so unrestrained and hot!

However, the strange thing is that outside of Kyoto, it is difficult to see such a flamboyant woman.

If you go to a remote place like Kaiyang County, not only will you rarely see ostentatious noble ladies, but even romantic young men will hardly be seen.

This prosperous country is like a pyramid. No matter whether you are a man or a woman, the higher you go, the more noble and ostentatious you become.

That's power!

It is a power granted jointly by the Holy Queen and Your Majesty.

No wonder everyone wants to climb up, the scenery at the top is indeed prosperous and wealthy, dazzling the eyes.

But if you think about it carefully, the power structure is still very different from that of the previous dynasty.

In the past, the status of women from aristocratic families was indeed more noble than that of ordinary people, but it was not noble enough to hold military power or even flirt with the top scholar in the imperial examination in the street.

In Mr. Ding's eyes, this new dynasty was very unorthodox.

But it was precisely because of his unorthodox character that he could meet ladies from aristocratic families on the street who used to stay at home.

In this way, he was able to welcome his new bride into the family and was appointed as the supervisor of the mutual trade.

Although his new wife was only a concubine, her surname was Xiao.

It is Xiao, one of the five major surnames in the capital.

Even if she was a branch of a branch of a branch, if it wasn't a marriage destined by heaven, he, a second-class Jinshi, would never be able to marry this widowed concubine of the Xiao family.

What's more, he has sons and daughters, and he is in his thirties, and his appearance is not impressive.

Rong Niang got married at the age of seventeen and lost her husband at the age of nineteen. After mourning for her husband for three months, her uncle and aunt sent her back home.

People say that she had a noble life, but her husband's family was unlucky and could not enjoy her blessing, so he died early.

Also, because she gave birth to a son who was fertile, handsome, and kind-hearted, after returning home, she devoted herself to helping her mistress manage the manor. The mistress also loved her very much and prepared a lot of dowry for her.

There were countless men in the capital who wanted to marry Rong Niang, but unfortunately she didn't like any of them and lived as a widow in Zhuangzi for many years.

Now at the prime age of 23, the matchmakers almost broke down the door of the Hushijian family.

Mr. Ding just went to join in the fun and kindly helped maintain order. Suddenly, he was noticed by Xiao Rong, who came to his house to deliver fruits and vegetables produced on the farm.

At that time, Mr. Ding had no official position and was temporarily living in the home of his cousin. Among the young men of noble families all over the city, he could not be said to be inconspicuous, but he was extremely poor.

In the capital, the little property in Dingjiazhuang was not even enough for the nobleman to give a reward to the singer.

At first, the Supervisor of Trade and Industry did not agree to this marriage, unless the wife became the daughter-in-law.

Fortunately, Mr. Ding's cousin was very supportive and contributed money and effort to help him pave the way.

First, he bought a house in the capital, and then he spent a lot of money to hire the most powerful official media in the capital. Finally, with Xiao Rong's persistence and Mr. Ding's sincerity in greeting his future mother-in-law and father-in-law three times a day, serving tea, sweeping the floor and serving his future mother-in-law and father-in-law, he finally got the beauty.

On that day, the men in the capital who were unable to get married all said: "Promotion, wealth, and wife's death, these three treasures combined into one, invincible luck!"

Mr. Ding: I'm sweating all over.

However, you may not believe it, but he and Rong Niang are in love with each other, and they are a match made in heaven.

He would not have returned home so soon this time. It was Rong Niang's urging that made him come back early.

She said, "Now that you and I are husband and wife, your children are also my children. If they respect me, I will plan a good future for them. When our children have their own families, you and I can enjoy the company of our grandchildren."

Mr. Ding said these words to Ding Shi and Ding Xiang one by one, reassuring them that their stepmother was definitely a good person and would treat them well. He also asked them to respect her and not to act like children.

Liu Ji and Mr. Ding were chatting politely in the main seats. Mr. Ding asked indirectly about Gong Liangliao's connections in the court, but Liu Ji knew nothing about the question and just laughed it off.

Ding Xiang and Qin Yao have already discussed everything that can be discussed about Master Ding in private.

Ding Xiang said in a worried voice: "My stepmother is anxious to marry me off, and my father seems to listen to her. I'm afraid that I'll be sold as soon as I get to the capital."

Qin Yao hissed, "Is it possible that there is something wrong with your father's retelling, and your stepmother is not in a hurry to throw you and your brother out?"

Ding Xiang was stunned, obviously not believing it.

Among all the women Qin Yao had ever met, the only ones who were qualified to be noble ladies were Aunt Qi and He Zhanghua.

Judging from their style of doing things, nobles attach great importance to face.

If Xiao Rong was in a hurry to marry off his stepdaughter and let his stepson start a family and move out as soon as Master Ding brought his children to the capital, it would be a bit too ugly.

Therefore, her words should be taken literally, rather than implying that Mr. Ding should quickly let his children get married and leave home so that they can live in their own world.

Prepare for the worst. If it is really that urgent, then the matter is a foregone conclusion. All Ding Xiang can do is pray that her stepmother and biological father don't have a child so soon.

Thinking of this, Qin Yao couldn't help but look at Master Ding a few more times. He was in high spirits because of good things happening to him. His face looked rosy and he seemed to be full of energy.

Ding Xiang asked curiously: "Qin Yao, what are you looking at?"

Qin Yao waved her hand, motioning Ding Xiang to come closer and teach her two secrets.