Gu Nanjiao frowned: "Everyone in the neighborhood knows what your family is like. Stop talking about my mother-in-law."
The neighbors who had come to watch the commotion gathered around: "Mrs. Li, who would want to marry their daughter to someone like Yanping? He comes to see Yang Meiqin in broad daylight, can't anyone see him?"
"That's right, that's right. Now I feel sorry for Qingqing. She married such a scoundrel. If my daughter suffered such injustice, I would definitely find someone to break Lu Yanping's legs."
"Breaking his legs would be too lenient. If you ask me, we should break his third leg so he can stop messing around."
Seeing the tide turning in their favor, Li Shi's fingers trembled with anger: "You...you all, stop spouting nonsense! It was clearly that slut who seduced her, it was Gu Nanjiao who stirred things up..."
Several women beat Yang Meiqin up, intending to rest for a while before beating her again. Yang Meiqin reacted quickly, seizing the opportunity to slip into the house and shut the door shut.
The group had no choice but to give up and went to Li, saying, "Stop with the 'you, you, you'! Look where Huang Qingqing is!"
Li looked around the crowd, but Huang Qingqing was nowhere to be seen, and even her son was gone.
Startled, Li got up from the ground. Huang Qingqing had probably gone back to her parents' home, and Yanping followed her there.
Lately, I don't know what's wrong with this silly son. He's been protecting Huang Qingqing in every way. Maybe he's been scared of her beating him!
She couldn't let Yanping chase Huang Qingqing back to her parents' home. What if Huang Qingqing cried and told her about what happened today? Wouldn't Lu Yanping's legs be broken?
Li could no longer care about anything else and hurriedly chased after him.
Once the excitement died down, the crowd dispersed in small groups, gossiping about the earlier farce.
Yang Meiqin peered through the crack in the door at Gu Nanjiao's retreating figure, her eyes filled with a sinister, hateful light.
...
After Huang Qingqing ran back to the Huang family home, she tearfully recounted what had happened.
Master Huang slammed his fist on the table in anger: "How dare you, you brat!" Lu Yanping was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and admitted his mistake.
Mother Huang hugged Huang Qingqing with heartache and couldn't help but cry: "My poor Qingqing, I thought they were so eager to marry her and would treat my son well. I never expected them to be such a despicable family."
Master Huang closed his eyes and said helplessly, "Let's get a divorce. If my daughter stays in this hellhole for the rest of her life, I'm afraid it will only harm her."
Upon hearing the word "divorce," Lu Yanping felt a tightness in his chest, making it hard to breathe. He didn't know why, but he just didn't want a divorce.
"Father-in-law, I was blinded by my own mind. It's all my fault. Please, father-in-law, don't agree to the divorce."
At this moment, Madam Li rushed over and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Lu Yan was safe and sound.
They quickly tried to pull Lu Yanping up, but they couldn't budge him no matter what they did.
Li shouted angrily, "You spineless coward, all you know how to do is kneel down. Are you scared of her beatings?"
Lu Yanping kept his head down and remained silent. Li said sarcastically, "What are you doing, in-law? Why are you making my son kneel down?"
Mother Huang rolled up her sleeves, ready to have a big fight with Madam Li, but was stopped by Master Huang's light cough.
For the sake of Huang Qingqing's reputation and to avoid being ridiculed by the neighbors, Huang's mother forcefully suppressed this impulse.
Master Huang asked in a stern voice, "You know perfectly well what your son has done. Today I only have one thing to say: divorce."
Li had long wanted to divorce Huang Qingqing. She thought that marrying her would bring her wealth and prosperity, but she never expected to receive any money. Yanping was beaten every day, and she, as the mother-in-law, couldn't control Huang Qingqing. She was truly living a stifled and humiliating life.
Master Huang, being a respected teacher, valued his reputation above all else. Knowing that he wouldn't dare to make a scene, Madam Li snorted coldly, "This ugly woman has been married into our family without laying a single egg. She beats and scolds my son at every turn. Our Lu family can't afford such an unfilial and unvirtuous daughter-in-law. If you're not afraid of making a scene, you can only write a letter of divorce. A divorce is not an option."
Lu Yanping tugged at Li's sleeve: "Mother, I will not divorce her, nor will I agree to a divorce."
When Master Huang heard Li's blatant distortion of the truth, even he, who was usually kind-hearted, couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. Seeing her husband's face turn purple, Huang's mother rolled up her sleeves and slapped Li across the face, and the two immediately started fighting.
Huang's mother was fierce, and Li was no match for her. Her face was covered in bloodstains, and her hair was pulled all over the ground.
In the end, Huang Qingqing pulled the two apart. She proposed that as long as they signed the divorce papers, the entire twenty taels of silver dowry would go to the Lu family, and she wouldn't take a single penny. If he insisted on divorcing her, then so be it; her reputation wasn't much better now, and she wasn't afraid of losing face. If the Huang brothers found out, Lu Yanping would be crippled, if not dead.
Upon hearing that it was twenty taels of silver, Li had no reason not to compromise and obediently let Lu Yanping sign the divorce papers.
At first, Lu Yanping refused, wanting to put on a passionate performance in front of Huang Qingqing. But when he heard about the twenty taels of silver, all the romantic feelings in his heart vanished completely.
Master Huang and his mother sighed; they couldn't swallow this bitter pill.
Huang Qingqing quickly comforted them, "Father and Mother, I'm sorry to have troubled you. From today onwards, I will go to the county town to find work. I will definitely not stay at home and cause you any trouble or become a laughing stock among the neighbors."
Huang's mother felt sorry for her daughter and tried her best to stop her from going, but Huang Qingqing insisted. Huang's teacher could only wave his hand and say helplessly, "Let her go!"
That evening, Huang Qingqing appeared at the entrance of Jiaoniang Pavilion.
Upon hearing that Gu Nanjiao had introduced her, Cuihong hurriedly went to find Lü Siniang, who then took Huang Qingqing to Meiwuzhai.
Looking at the uniquely decorated Meiwuzhai, Huang Qingqing asked in astonishment, "Sister-in-law, is this the shop where you run your business? It's so big!"
I had heard people gossiping in the village that Gu Nanjiao and her family ran a food business in the county town and rarely came back to the village these days. I didn't expect it to be such a big shop.
Gu Nanjiao smiled and said, "Yes, what brings you here?"
Huang Qingqing's smile vanished: "I divorced Lu Yanping and had nowhere to go, so I went to Jiaoniang Pavilion, and the manager of Jiaoniang Pavilion brought me here."
Gu Nanjiao immediately understood that in ancient times, women who were divorced or abandoned could not return to their parents' home. Huang Qingqing, however, was quite open-minded and did not cry and lament her fate. Instead, she came to find work.
Gu Nanjiao said to Lü Siniang, "Auntie, this is my friend. She carves very beautiful hairpins. The one in my hair is made by her. I noticed that the customers of Jiaoniang Pavilion always ask about jewelry to match their clothes. I think you might as well take her on and design some novel and unique hairpins. This can boost clothing sales and generate additional income."
Lü Siniang had no reason to disagree, and that very night she arranged for Huang Qingqing and Cuihong Juzi to stay together.
Jiaoniang Pavilion had a clear division of labor: Liu Meihua was in charge of embroidery, Huang Qingqing was in charge of jewelry, and Cuihong Juzi was in charge of sales. There were also tailors specially hired to make clothes. Lü Siniang simply did nothing and spent her free time cuddling with Gu Qingyan.
The hairpins made by Huang Qingqing were very popular among scholars. Scholars regarded money as dirt and abhorred extravagance and debauchery. They loved the simple and unadorned hairpins.
With the autumn examinations approaching, Jiaoniang Pavilion has launched a variety of exquisite hairpins, including the "Step by Step to Success" Nan bamboo hairpin and the "Small Leaf Phoebe Phoenix Soaring to the Sky" hairpin.
To bring good luck, students from various academies bought one or two and wore them in their hair.
The hairpins from Jiaoniang Pavilion are not expensive, and wearing them on your head will not make you look extravagant. Paired with the unique style of Jiaoniang Pavilion's long gowns, you will look dashing, elegant and refined.
...
When Lu Yanzhao returned, Gu Nanjiao handed him the long robe as if it were a treasure: "Go and try it on?"
Lu Yanzhao casually put the long robe aside, pulled Gu Nanjiao's hand and kissed it: "Try it again after you take a shower tonight."
"Alright then, I originally wanted you to wear a long robe and pair it with this hairpin in my hand, to see how stunning you would look, but I didn't expect you to insist on waiting until tonight." Gu Nanjiao said, revealing the hairpin in her hand. The hairpin was emerald green, with a lustrous sheen, and it was very beautiful.
"You really want to see that much, huh?" Lu Yanzhao lowered his voice, the last syllable rising in pitch.
"No, it's just... the old bamboo hairpin I made for you before was too ugly, so I asked Qingqing to make you one. You can take it off."
"I don't want that. I only want one that you carved yourself. Unless you make me another one!"
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