Suddenly, a family settled in Datian Village. Their name was only one character different from that of the villagers in Datian Village, and it was even a homophone.
Zhao, the village head, was dumbfounded.
Unable to resist confirming again, he asked, "This young lady's name is Qiao Lian'er?"
"Yes, that's my name since I was little. Uncle Village Head, is there a problem?"
The girl's eyes were full of innocence as she tilted her head and asked.
Zhao Lizheng couldn't discern the other party's intentions. There were countless people in the world with the same name, and coincidences were not uncommon. He was simply making a fuss over nothing.
Master Qiao said, "We settled here for reasons that are not easy to explain. We are new here and busy with many things. Village Chief Zhao, please don't delay us."
Madam Qiao also said, "The county government has already gone through the procedures, so there's no need for Village Head Zhao to go through the trouble. All we need to do is approve a plot of land for the house."
They seemed polite and courteous, but Zhao Lizheng felt an inexplicable pressure.
Since there was a document from the county government, he, as the village head, simply had to follow it.
If problems arise, the county government will back him up, so even the biggest issues won't fall on his shoulders.
Thinking this way, Zhao Lizheng felt a little more at ease.
He said, "An elderly person living alone in the east of the village recently passed away. The land where the house was built has been reclaimed by the village collective. It's quite large, enough for your family to live on. Let me take you to see it."
Soon, everyone in Datian Village knew that there was a new family in the village, also surnamed Qiao.
People were talking about it privately.
“This family looks distinguished, they must be rich and noble, they look like city people, why would they settle down in our poor, remote place?”
"Yes, it's really hard to guess what rich people are thinking."
"They're probably fleeing from danger. These rich and powerful people have a lot of troubles. Once the danger is over, they'll go back. It's not surprising."
Someone stroked their chin and said, "They also have the surname Qiao. Could it be that they heard the Qiao family in our village has been having a string of good fortunes and wanted to try their luck here?"
"You don't know yet, do you?" someone said mysteriously, "That young lady is also named Qiao Lian'er, but the 'Lian' in 'compassion' is the same as in 'compassion'."
"What, Qiao Lian'er? That's practically the same name as Lian'er, this—"
Everyone looked at each other, feeling that there was something strange about the whole thing.
The Qiao family was naturally aware of this as well, and they were more wary of the sudden appearance of Qiao Lian'er.
Everyone speculated for a while, but nothing came of it.
"There's no rule that other families with the surname Qiao can't register their household in our village, nor is there a rule that someone's daughter can't be named Qiao Lian'er." Old Mrs. Qiao said, "Don't make wild guesses. It's baseless speculation. The Qiao family shouldn't be so immoral."
Everyone understands this principle, but they still have many questions.
"When we meet them, we greet them as if we were meeting any other villagers. Both families share the surname Qiao, so it might be a kind of fate."
Everyone agreed, but the lingering doubt just wouldn't go away.
Qiao Lian'er was silent for a moment before speaking: "In time, whether they are enemies or friends will become clear."
She felt a stronger sense of unease than towards the Qiao family.
It seems as if her world is at risk of being destroyed.
The Qiao family at the east end of the village remained low-key and undemanding. They first moved into the house of the deceased, widowed elderly woman. The nanny named Fu Ma was in charge of three meals a day, which were relatively simple for a wealthy family, consisting of two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes.
Every morning, you can see the coachman driving the horse-drawn carriage to take Fu Ma to town to buy ingredients.
Fu Ma was a gentle person who would take the initiative to greet the villagers. If she needed help, she would even take out some coins or silver coins, which earned her some goodwill.
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