On that day, Wei Hua specially wrote a visiting card, inviting Qiao Jingjing to visit his garden.
He said it was specifically to thank Qiao Jingjing, because she taught him farming methods back then.
Over the past two years, he has worked hard to build up his family business. With his younger brother returning home to help, the two brothers worked together and their family gradually prospered.
Since his younger brother came back, he has been troubling Qiao Jingjing every few days. Qiao Jingjing is unconcerned with trivial matters and does not care about worldly opinions, and has helped the two brothers time and time again.
Wei Hua said, "My brother and I lost our parents early, leaving only our elderly grandmother at home. She is too old to manage the household chores. My brother and I are still young and don't know much about things. We had been planning to host a banquet for Miss Qiao for a long time, but we kept putting it off until now."
After all, Lujiang City has been very peaceful these past few years.
Ever since Sun Ce conquered Lujiang City that year, he has been rampant and tyrannical in the city, killing many people.
Later, Sun Ce left, and Prefect Liu Xun brought 30,000 troops to garrison the area.
Within a year or two, agriculture flourished in Lujiang City, the city walls were fortified, the granaries were full, and the people once again lived a peaceful and prosperous life.
It was under such circumstances that the Wei brothers were able to live a better life.
Qiao Jingjing was originally a hard worker who only liked to immerse herself in the mulberry garden. If it weren't for her mother's constant reminders and guidance, she would still be addicted to the mulberry garden and fishpond, unable to extricate herself.
The old mother's scolding actually woke Qiao Jingjing up.
She lacked social skills and had no friends here.
So, two years ago she made a vow to help Qiao Manman find a good husband, but two years later she still hasn't found a suitable one.
They had wasted these days at home.
But as some sages have said, there are no detours in life, and no wasted experiences.
In recent years, she was forced to abandon her farming career, but under her elderly mother's supervision, she has learned many principles of conduct for women.
For example, she used to say whatever she wanted in front of others, and she had no scruples when facing these men, speaking freely without hesitation.
Now, when people talk to her, she thinks for a long time before she finally speaks, and her words are somewhat pedantic.
"Yu Mei, take this letter out and give it to the servant at the gate, and have them deliver it to the Wei family."
Qiao Jingjing replied in the letter:
I am deeply grateful for Brother Wei's kindness. I will definitely keep our appointment on time.
In the past two years, Qiao Jingjing has not only been doing laundry and cooking, but also having maids following her around to act like a young lady.
She did, however, occasionally read some books under the windowsill and by the oil lamp. After all, Qiao Er and Qiao San didn't read, and their elderly mother had spent so much money buying them so many books.
Sometimes she would read these books several times, and then she would learn the characters. If she didn't understand something, she could ask her father.
The old mother certainly didn't like her learning to read, but the father could sometimes speak up for her.
"When Da Qiao went to the mulberry garden and fishpond, you forbade it. You said that it was my fault for not educating her properly, and I admit it! I have neglected their education. But Madam, these girls can also read and understand reason. You forbid her from doing this or that, from doing anything, and she is always in front of you, making you angry and creating trouble for yourself."
Why don't you let her go back to her room and read some books, broaden her horizons, and understand some principles? It will be easier for you to educate her then.
At least Qiao's mother heard what her father said.
Yes.
During her wanderings in Luoyang, Juancheng, and Wuji County in Zhongshan, Qiao's mother learned about the lives of many young ladies from prominent families. Besides composing poems, painting, playing the zither, and dancing, they also learned household management and chores from their mothers. In their spare time, these women also read and wrote.
The old mother's perspective was reminded by her father.
The elderly mother suddenly noticed Qiao Jingjing's shameful seal script.
I was angry for a long time.
Qiao Jingjing also received a lot of scolding from her mother for her handwriting.
It was then that Qiao Jingjing realized that it wasn't about whether her mother could control her emotions or whether she listened to her mother, but rather that she was still far from meeting her mother's expectations.
Anyway, she got used to this kind of life, with all the yelling and fighting.
She survived all these years by relying on the principle of patience.
Of course, there were times when things became unbearable and I even considered leaving.
But she ultimately held back.
She had heard people say before that some people are mentally unstable, and their words and actions are always illogical and cannot be viewed through the lens of ordinary people.
She discovered the problem as soon as her mother returned.
But she chose to remain silent and wait for the right opportunity. Finally, her mother voluntarily sought medical help and they met the famous doctor Hua Tuo again.
Now, my mother's condition has stabilized.
She now enjoys a relatively free life like she does today.
Qiao Jingjing brought along Qiao Manman, the two little girls Yulan and Yumei, and Lü Meng. Of course, she also asked Qiao Er and Qiao San if they wanted to go to Wei Hua's house.
How could these two naive, fake rich young masters not go when faced with such a situation?
So, apart from the elderly mother staying at home taking medicine and the elderly father fishing by the pond, detached from worldly affairs, the siblings went out to visit friends on their own.
Qiao Er arrived at the Wei family.
Hearing the Wei brothers recount how their family had prospered over the past few years...
Qiao Er was full of amazement:
"You two brothers, you said your family used to only have a small stable? And now all these properties, this huge area of ponds and woodlands, were all acquired later?"
Both brothers said yes.
Qiao Er nodded in admiration, recalling how Qiao Jingjing had forced him to work in a pond in the freezing cold.
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