True personality
On the surface, Yu Yadan was trying to comfort Tang Yuying, but in reality, she was belittling Fu Zhiqiao's background.
While publicly displaying her magnanimity, she also thoroughly humiliated Fu Zhi Qiao.
Yu Yadan's words immediately won the approval of many people, and their gazes toward Fu Zhiqiao changed once again.
Yu Yadan felt extremely pleased to see Fu Zhiqiao being looked down upon by everyone.
Faced with Ya Dan's behavior of publicly stepping on her face to gain favor, Fu Zhi Qiao originally didn't want to pay attention, but since the stage had already been set up, it wouldn't be good for her, as one of the participants, not to do anything.
She looked directly into Yu Yadan's eyes and said, word by word, "Miss Yu, if I like a man, I will definitely try to win his heart, not sit here and mock other people."
Fu Zhiqiao naturally looked down on Yu Yadan's manipulative behavior. Fu Zhiqiao knew perfectly well that Yu Yadan was the instigator of this farce, and Tang Yuying was just a pawn.
There was no smile in Fu Zhiqiao's eyes; her gaze was like a sharp knife sweeping across Yu Yadan's face.
Yu Yadan felt a chill run down her spine under Fu Zhiqiao's gaze, and her eyes darted around unnaturally. "W-what did you say?" She interpreted Fu Zhiqiao's words as a sarcastic remark about her not being able to win the heart of the one she loved. Her face turned pale, and she said in a tearful voice, "Miss Fu, what do you mean by this?"
Yu Yadan looked devastated, which made Tang Yuying feel even more sorry for her. Seeing that Fu Zhiqiao not only dared to insult her, but also dared to mock Yu Yadan, she no longer suppressed her anger and directly sneered, "That's right, a lowly merchant who has finally managed to get on the good side of the young master, how could she let go easily? Of course, she will use any means necessary to cling to him!"
"Heh!" Fu Zhi Qiao sneered, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes as she looked at Tang Yu Ying.
When Zhou Miaosi returned from the washroom, she did not see Fu Zhiqiao. Seeing that everyone was gathered together, she walked over.
She quickly figured out what had happened and realized that Yu Yadan and Tang Yuying were deliberately targeting Fu Zhiqiao. She stepped in to smooth things over: "Miss Tang, is there some misunderstanding? Zhiqiao is a merchant, that's true, but she is also the Lady of Ming'an County, personally appointed by His Majesty."
When did Fu Zhi Qiao become a county magistrate? Before Tang Yu Ying could react, Yu Ya Dan spoke up first, her voice sharp and piercing: "You're talking nonsense! She's clearly a merchant."
Tang Yuying also laughed out contemptuously. She had met Fu Zhiqiao once back in Qingzhou. Fu Zhiqiao was a genuine merchant's daughter, no doubt about it!
"Miss Yu probably doesn't know this yet, but Zhi Qiao is a great hero who saved Jiangnan from floods, and was therefore rewarded by His Majesty and granted the title of County Lady."
Zhou Miaosi was heavily pregnant, and everyone consciously made way for her.
Next, Zhou Miaosi recounted how Fu Zhiqiao donated grain for disaster relief and developed alcohol to help prevent and treat the plague. Qin Xiyu's eyes sparkled after hearing this, and her tone was somewhat reproachful: "Sister Fu, how could you keep such a thing from me!"
Yu Yadan and Tang Yuying exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. Yu Yadan, in particular, showed a flicker of panic on her face, muttering, "Impossible! Impossible..."
Not only were the two women shocked, but the noble ladies who were watching the spectacle also looked at each other in disbelief.
Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better.
They were women and knew very little about the affairs of the court, but they did know about major events such as floods and plagues in the Jiangnan region. Could a woman as righteous as Fu Zhi Qiao really be the shameless, clingy man that Tang Yu Ying described?
Everyone had a thoughtful look on their face.
Zhou Miaosi took in everyone's expressions and finally concluded, "Miss Yu, I believe there must be some misunderstanding between you and Zhi Qiao. She is definitely not the shameless woman you described."
The noble ladies were so engrossed in listening to Zhou Miaosi's story about Fu Zhiqiao that they suddenly remembered Yu Yadan was also by their side after hearing her words.
According to Tang Yuying, Fu Zhiqiao has a romantic entanglement with the young master, and the young master's fiancée is Yu Yadan. This makes sense why Yu Yadan would target Fu Zhiqiao.
They instantly understood this complex and intertwined relationship...
The atmosphere at the scene became somewhat tense for a moment.
Tang Yuying's face suddenly turned bright red. After hesitating for a moment, she asked Zhou Miaosi, "Are you telling the truth?"
"Whether what I said is true or false, you can find out by asking around."
Indeed, such a thing is easy to find out with a simple inquiry, and even if Zhou Miaosi were bold, she wouldn't dare to lie using His Majesty's name. It seems that this matter is most likely true.
The other noble ladies began to whisper among themselves.
"Hehe, it must be a misunderstanding. Perhaps Miss Yu has mistaken you for someone else."
"I never expected Miss Fu to be so generous. That's over 100,000 catties of grain! She donated it without hesitation. She has such great courage!"
"Indeed, Miss Fu is truly a role model for us women!"
...
The crowd started talking, breaking the previous tense atmosphere.
Their conversation reached Yu Yadan's ears.
Yu Yadan's body trembled violently. She was secretly anxious, but she dared not show it on her face. Her eyes darkened slightly as she forced herself to calm down.
Qin Xiyu wanted to say something several times, but swallowed her words after seeing Yu Yadan's tense expression.
Tang Yuying was also losing face, her mind was in a mess, and her body was noticeably stiffer. She really hadn't expected that Fu Zhiqiao had another identity as a county lady.
Even after learning Fu Zhi Qiao's true identity, Tang Yu Ying still had some reservations. It was true that Fu Zhi Qiao was of noble birth, but her status was supported by her family's prestige. Fu Zhi Qiao, a person with rank and title, was not someone she could bully at will.
*
For these sheltered young ladies, Fu Zhi Qiao's experiences venturing out into the world were quite appealing.
The situation took a sharp turn for the worse.
Seeing everyone else gathered around Fu Zhi Qiao, Yu Ya Dan's eyes were filled with a sinister look. She never expected things to turn out this way. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, and the expression on her face finally returned to normal.
"Sister Qin, it's all my fault that things have turned out this way..." Yu Yadan's face was full of regret, and her eyes were even a little watery.
She showed weakness first, so Qin Xiyu couldn't say anything more and could only comfort her by saying it wasn't her fault and it was all a misunderstanding.
After apologizing to Qin Xiyu, Yu Yadan took Tang Yuying's hand and said that she was feeling unwell and needed to leave first.
Since things have come to this, there's no need for them to stay here any longer.
Tang Yuying flicked her long sleeves, gave Fu Zhiqiao a cold snort, and turned to leave.
"Wait, you've wronged me. Aren't you going to apologize?"
Tang Yuying narrowed her eyes, as if she had heard something amusing. She turned around, raised her chin slightly, and looked directly at Fu Zhiqiao: "You want me to apologize to you?"
"Otherwise what!" Fu Zhi Qiao glanced at her sideways and answered in a deep voice.
No one expected Fu Zhi Qiao to suddenly attack Ya Dan. The noble ladies around were all stunned by this turn of events.
The room fell silent; even breathing seemed to have become quieter.
"To wrongly accuse someone and not apologize—is this the proper upbringing of an aristocratic family?"
Qin Xiyu stared wide-eyed at Fu Zhiqiao, as if she were seeing her for the first time.
Yu Yadan's pupils contracted, her face flushed, and she felt that everyone around her was mocking her. She just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
Tang Yuying looked somewhat embarrassed: "Miss Fu, I advise you not to push your luck."
Fu Zhiqiao remained calm and composed, her eyes radiating coldness. "Miss Tang should use this sentence to remind herself."
The atmosphere was tense.
Qin Xiyu thought to herself: Sister Fu is so imposing!
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yu Yadan had no choice but to compromise.
She lowered her eyes, her hands clenched into fists inside her sleeves, veins bulging on the back of her hands, as she desperately suppressed her anger. When she looked up again, her expression had changed, her attitude was very natural, and even the smile on her face was just right: "Miss Fu, I misunderstood you today, I'm sorry."
After saying that, she flicked her sleeves and left without looking back, without waiting for Fu Zhi Qiao to react.
The main character was gone, the farce was over, and the remaining noble ladies were unsure how to react.
Fu Zhi Qiao didn't care about anything else. She found Qin Xi Yu and said, "Xi Yu, I'm so sorry for today. My birthday banquet was disrupted by my actions. I'll apologize to you later."
Qin Xiyu was still a little dazed, and after a few breaths, she came to her senses: "Oh, it's nothing..."
The others also snapped out of their daze. Seeing that Yu Yadan had lowered her head, the noble ladies who had previously gossiped about her came over to curry favor: "Since this is our first time meeting the County Magistrate, we are unaware of her identity. Please forgive us if we have acted inappropriately!"
Fu Zhiqiao curtsied to them, her face full of apology: "I have disturbed everyone's enjoyment today."
Seeing that Fu Zhi Qiao's expression was alright, the noble ladies breathed a slight sigh of relief and smiled awkwardly, "What are you saying, County Lady?"
After exchanging pleasantries, the banquet came to an end.
As the owner of Taibai Tower, Fu Zhiqiao had to stay behind to calculate the day's revenue.
"You're quite far along in your pregnancy, so it's best to stay home as much as possible. You should also give the maids a good talking-to and make sure they're on their best to take good care of you." After seeing Zhou Miaosi downstairs, Fu Zhiqiao instructed Huang Li to take good care of her.
Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Zhou Miaosi no longer suppressed her emotions. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as she tried hard not to laugh out loud: "Today was truly enjoyable! Did you see the expressions on Tang Yuying and Yu Yadan's faces? Haha!"
Knowing that Zhou Miaosi was standing up for her, Fu Zhiqiao gave a gentle smile: "Alright! You're about to become a mother, be careful of the baby in your belly."
Zhou Miaosi was originally an extremely dignified and composed person, but who would have thought that she would become so lively after becoming pregnant.
Zhou Miaosi felt the same way.
In her previous encounters with Fu Zhiqiao, Zhou Miaosi thought that apart from being a little clever, she was a weak and easily bullied woman. It wasn't until Fu Zhiqiao taught her to be outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant in front of her mother-in-law and to come up with ideas to solve her predicament that Zhou Miaosi finally understood her true nature.
It's not uncommon to say that Fu Zhi Qiao is weak and easily bullied; that's the impression she gives off. Only by getting to know her better will you realize that she not only has a beautiful and delicate appearance, but also a clever and intelligent mind.
Although she may not have come from a noble family, she is neither arrogant nor servile, which makes her easy to like.
When I first met Fu Zhi Qiao, she had not yet been granted the title of County Lady. She was a pure merchant's daughter, but even so, she did not become obsequious in front of them. Instead, she maintained her pride.
This is also what Zhou Miaosi admires most about Fu Zhiqiao. However, she never expected that she would later become close friends with Fu Zhiqiao.
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