Chapter 92 Let's go out!
The red coral ornament was sold on the sixth day after Min Qiaoshi spread the word, which was only three days after Min Hui's wedding.
The price was a little higher than expected by Min Qiaoshi, and it eventually sold for 120,000 taels. The buyer was a merchant who said he bought it as a gift.
Min Qiao didn't care who the red coral ornament would end up with, as long as the money was paid in full, it was a cash-on-delivery transaction.
Holding the money, Madam Min raised her arm and shouted, "Let's go!"
Then, the day after receiving the money, the group left Beijing without stopping.
However, once she left the capital, Madam Min suddenly realized that she seemed to have forgotten something.
***
Meanwhile, after Madam Min Qiao left the Marquis's residence in a grand manner, Madam He and Madam Wu realized that Madam Min Qiao was going on a long trip.
The two rushed to Songhe Hall to inquire, only to find out that Min Qiao was actually going south.
Wu hurriedly went back to discuss countermeasures with Min Yuexi.
He also quickly sent someone to Dali Temple to inform Min Rong.
The Grand Madam's departure from the capital was completely unknown to the Marquis, his wife, and even the steward's concubine, Consort He!
The Xuanping Marquis's residence instantly erupted into chaos, with all sorts of things being said.
Soon, even people outside knew about this absurd thing.
In less than half a day, the gossip that "the Dowager Lady of the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion left the capital without the Marquis and his wife knowing anything about it" spread like wildfire throughout the capital.
This time, some people completely believed the rumors of discord between Marquis Xuanping and his wife and Lady Minqiao.
Some say that Lady Min Qiao is inconsiderate and doesn't care about the reputation of her son and the Xuanping Marquis's mansion.
Some people say that Min Rong and his wife were unfilial, which made Min Qiao Shi heartbroken. At her advanced age, she still insisted on going on a long trip.
Anyway, there's a lot of noise and all sorts of opinions.
In short, the Xuanping Marquis's mansion once again boosted its reputation in the aristocratic circles of the capital.
Upon hearing this news, Madam Zheng couldn't help but smile wryly. "This Min Qiao Shi is getting more and more willful! Such a big thing as leaving the capital, and she didn't even tell her son."
Granny Guan nodded in agreement, "That's right. Madam Qiao already told you about her upcoming journey, so why didn't she tell Marquis Xuanping and his wife? They are mother and son after all!"
Madam Zheng herself didn't think much of it when she said Min Qiao was wrong. But when she heard Granny Guan also criticizing Min Qiao, she immediately became displeased. She pouted and tried to defend Min Qiao, saying, "Speaking of which, it's still the fault of Marquis Xuanping and his wife!"
"Such a big event as Lady Min Qiao's departure must have been planned for more than just a day or two. They live under the same roof, and with such a commotion, did the Marquis of Xuanping and his wife really not notice anything at all?"
"It's clear that this couple has absolutely no genuine feelings for Min Qiao Shi! They don't care about her at all!"
"Wow, that attitude changed way too fast!" Granny Guan was both amused and exasperated, but she quickly chimed in, "What the Grand Madam says is true. If Marquis Xuanping and his wife had paid more attention to Grand Madam Qiao, we wouldn't have been unaware of her passing."
"Yes, that's exactly it!" Madam Zheng nodded.
However, the matter only caused a stir for two days before no one discussed it anymore.
Because the imperial examinations for spring have begun!
The new batch of candidates, braving the lingering chill of early spring, entered the examination hall to fight for their future.
This includes Lu Ming.
On the morning of the day the candidates entered the examination hall, Min Yuexi got up early, took her maid, and secretly hid in the carriage, watching the long line of candidates from afar with a deep gaze.
***
After leaving the capital, Madam Min and her entourage traveled overland for two more days before switching to waterways and boarding a merchant ship heading south.
Among the group, Madam Min Qiao, Granny Fang, and Yang An and his wife were all from the south and were no strangers to traveling by boat.
The twenty-odd bodyguards who accompanied them had traveled all over the country and were quite adept at traveling by boat.
Of the remaining dozen or so servants and a few maids, most of them were fine and recovered after a couple of days.
Only Aqi was seasick from the moment she boarded the ship. Not long after the ship left the dock, she started vomiting. She vomited non-stop the entire way.
Min Qiaoshi let her rest in the cabin and asked Ayi and the others to take good care of her. She also instructed the kitchen staff to prepare some light and easily digestible food for Aqi.
Unfortunately, it was completely useless.
I still get seasick. I still vomit.
Not wanting her own affairs to spoil Min Qiao's trip, A Qi asked A Shuang to read more stories to Min Qiao.
Ah Shuang lived up to expectations, quickly winning everyone's praise with her increasingly refined reading skills, and successfully diverting Min Qiao's attention.
After sailing for several days, the ship passed a town dock and needed to replenish some food supplies, so it had to stop for half a day.
Madam Min Qiao then told Ayi and the others to get off the boat and go sightseeing. She also told them to go find Aqi to get some silver, and to buy back anything they found that was delicious or fun.
Aqi was still lying in the cabin, but when he heard that Ayi and the others were going to take money to go to the market, he immediately forced himself to get up, clutching his purse.
"I'll go too!"
She had to keep an eye on them and absolutely not buy them anything unnecessary!
After saying that, his eyes kept drifting towards Ajiu.
Okay, everyone knows that Ah Jiu is a foodie; she can't resist delicious food.
If she doesn't go along and keep an eye on things, Ah Jiu can buy all the delicious food at the market!
Ajiu pouted and said with dissatisfaction, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not going! The Grand Madam isn't getting off the ship, so I have to stay by her side and keep watch. Humph!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
Aqi looked at Ayi, Ashuang, and Asi with a puzzled expression. "If she's not going, why is she following you guys to find me?"
A Shuang covered her mouth and chuckled, while A Yi couldn't help but laugh out loud as well.
Only Asi said with a resentful look, "She really won't get off the ship, but she still wants to get the money from you so she can ask us to go to the market and exchange it all for food for her!"
"She thinks my cooking is bad!"
Asi looked aggrieved.
There was a large kitchen on the ship, but it only served communal meals, which were fine for the bodyguards and servants. The girls who followed Madam Min had already developed picky palates at Songhe Hall.
Therefore, their meals were all prepared in small batches, and Asi personally took care of them.
Because she had considered these things before her trip, she started learning cooking skills from the chefs hired by Songhetang more than a month ago.
Unfortunately, no matter how talented she was, her culinary skills couldn't reach the level of a head chef in a restaurant after just one month.
Ah Jiu's palate is getting increasingly picky. Although she didn't say it outright, she's someone who could easily eat three bowls of rice, but after boarding the ship, she only eats half a bowl per meal and then turns around to go to the Grand Madam's place to mooch some snacks. This clearly shows that she dislikes her cooking skills.
The group laughed and joked as they left the cabin, told Madam Min Qiao about it, and then disembarked together.
Accompanying them were several bodyguards arranged by Madam Min.
"Aren't you going to go shopping?"
Sitting on the third-floor deck, Madam Min Qiao gazed at the bustling dock and asked Granny Fang a question.
Granny Fang smiled and shook her head, "With my old arms and legs, I'd better stay on the boat and chat with the Grand Madam."
Madam Min smiled and said, "That's fine."
"Speaking of which, it's been several days, why haven't I seen your little grandson? Didn't you say you were going to take him out to broaden his horizons?"
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