After pouring out her heart, she seemed to have found an outlet for her emotions, and a flash of anger appeared in her eyes as she spoke.
"These江湖人士 (jianghu figures), though they're called chivalrous heroes, are nothing more than hooligans and thieves. They should all be executed on the spot to prevent them from continuing to commit evil deeds in the world!"
When the topic of martial arts figures came up, Jiang Huaiyu couldn't help but think of Ling Mo. Although it wasn't appropriate to mention his name at this moment, she still couldn't help but say, "Actually, not everyone in the martial arts world is evil. Those who commit evil should certainly be punished, but there are also some righteous people who have contributed a lot to this world. How can we generalize?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Qiao remembered the painting "Autumn Colors of Yunling" that her husband cherished. Its author, Ling Mo, was also a painter who traveled the world.
Witnessing Jiang Huaiyu's desperate protection of that person, she couldn't help but feel a desire to find out what kind of connection existed between the two.
With this question in mind, she ultimately did not voice it, but instead responded gently, "Madam Bai is right, I do indeed have some prejudices."
Jiang Huaiyu gently reassured her, "Madam Qiao, you really don't need to worry too much. This case is indeed difficult, but Magistrate Qiao has been handling cases for many years and is very experienced. He will definitely be able to resolve it properly and bring the murderer to justice."
Mrs. Qiao smiled gently, her expression becoming much more relaxed. "I hope it's as you say. If that's the case, then that would be for the best."
As soon as she finished speaking, she remembered the business plan that Jiang Huaiyu had mentioned earlier.
"By the way, Mrs. Bai, you mentioned wanting to start a business in Wusu. What industry exactly?"
A smile flashed in Jiang Huaiyu's eyes as he replied, "You may have heard that I own a rouge workshop in Wusu. The purpose of opening the shop is to facilitate the sale of rouge."
In fact, her initiative to speak with Madam Qiao was not only to gather intelligence about the city, but also to build a closer relationship with her. She had visited the Qiao residence before and the two already had a connection. She thought that if she could invite Madam Qiao to the opening of Han Yi Fang, it would certainly enhance the shop's reputation.
However, unexpectedly, after a conversation, she learned of something very significant. Faced with such a weighty topic, she found it difficult to speak of it.
Mrs. Qiao was clearly not in the mood to consider other matters, and simply said softly, "That is indeed a good idea. It is truly admirable that Mrs. Bai, who is six months pregnant, is still busy with these trivial matters."
A hint of sympathy flickered in her eyes as she spoke, as if she had something to say but swallowed it back.
Jiang Huaiyu seemed to have guessed her thoughts, so she took the initiative to speak, gently stroking her belly and saying, "Alas... this is also a helpless move. My husband has encountered misfortune and his future is uncertain. As a woman, I have no choice but to stand up and support this family."
Mrs. Qiao was deeply moved by these words, a faint sadness showing in her eyes, and she nodded gently.
Indeed, we are two people in the same boat.
If the head of the household falls from power, she might not even be as good as Jiang Huaiyu.
Madam Qiao became increasingly alarmed as she thought about it, and quickly shook her head, gently comforting her, "Madam Bai, you should also think on the bright side. Although Scholar Bai is in his prime and has been demoted for a time, he may still have a chance to make a comeback."
"Then I'll take your kind words."
Madam Qiao smiled slightly, slowly stood up, and said softly, "We've been chatting for so long, and I've already chosen what I like, but you haven't been able to find suitable jewelry yet. I won't bother you any longer. Madam Bai is so young, yet we can talk so congenially. It's truly rare. If you have some free time, please come to my humble abode more often."
Jiang Huaiyu also stood up, bowed slightly, and said gently, "Madam Qiao, please take care. I will have someone carefully package the top-quality rouge from the shop and send it to your residence later."
"The Qiao family has already received a generous gift from you; how can we accept this?"
"This is just a small gift, I hope Mrs. Qiao will not refuse it."
Madam Qiao smiled and said softly, "Madam Bai, you are too kind. Well then, I really don't have the mood to pay attention to other things right now. I will visit your rouge shop after this case is solved."
"Han Yi Fang is ready to welcome Madam Qiao at any time."
Although they were unable to invite Mrs. Qiao, today's conversation deepened their relationship. However, regrettably, even with connections to the Qiao family, they could not change their current predicament.
If the case of the prefect's murder can be solved successfully, Assistant Prefect Qiao will surely be promoted again to the capital, and their connection will be severed. If Assistant Prefect Qiao cannot find the real culprit, and the court holds him accountable, as Madam Qiao said, Assistant Prefect Qiao's official position will be in jeopardy. At that time, what is the point of continuing to associate with the Qiao family?
However, having more friends means having more options, and being kind to others ultimately brings more benefits than harm.
Just like today, Jiang Huaiyu only gave away a beautiful piece of jewelry, but unexpectedly learned the truth behind the prefect's murder case, and also won the favor of Madam Qiao. It can be said that she gained a lot.
"Madam, what do you think of this hair ornament?"
Yingxiang pointed to the glittering jewelry on the tray in the hands of the waiter at Dafulou and asked curiously.
They had come today specifically to choose a birthday gift for Cao Shuwan, and since the gift hadn't been decided yet, they couldn't leave empty-handed. Jiang Huaiyu gracefully rose and walked towards her.
Seeing this, the shop assistant quickly said, "Madam, this gold-inlaid gemstone hairpin is from the same craftsman as the one that was just sold. The craftsmanship is exquisite and the design is ingenious. It is by no means inferior to the previous one. Please take a look and see if it suits your taste?"
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