Chapter 2330: GreetingsEditor: Henyee Translations

Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei would never bow to Qiao Xuan, unless someone forced them to do so.

They doubted Qiao Xuan would dare make such a demand.

Everyone was intrigued, and the mother and daughter had spoken extensively about Qiao Xuan, which had put them in a better mood.

As they saw Qiao Xuan approaching, they straightened up instinctively.

Madame Tang, feeling uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassed, was a bit slow to react.

When she realized everyone had already knelt, her heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she knelt down as well.

However, this last-minute action only made her stand out more.

Suddenly, many pairs of eyes were focused on Madame Qiao, her daughter, and Madame Tang.

While Madame Qiao and her daughter were familiar faces, Madame Tang was not. Everyone was curious about her identity, with some wondering if she was simply too shocked to react.

Madame Qiao nearly burst into laughter upon seeing Madame Tang’s predicament.

"Alright, this is interesting! I didn’t expect her to come too. If I had known, I would have sought her out earlier!"

Qiao Wei, gripping Madame Qiao’s arm, shot a glance at Qiao Xuan and said, "Aren’t you going to greet your mother? Do you still hold a grudge against her for not caring enough about your sister, for being biased, and for not forgiving her?"

In Qiao Wei’s view, the issue was not bias but the concubine’s daughter’s presumption to compete with her elder sister for affection. To her, this was sheer ignorance.

Qiao Wei’s words were calculated to shift blame away from Madame Qiao. No one would think Madame Qiao was at fault; instead, they would view Qiao Xuan as petty and self-centered.

Qiao Xuan sighed, her tone resigned. "Miss Qiao, please be mindful of your words. Everyone knows I was born as a concubine’s daughter, but at least my father, even then a County Magistrate, ensured I was well-fed and clothed. I had more than many could hope for. Reflecting on it, my husband was once just a small cultivator from a rural farming family with barely a few acres of land. How time flies..."

The assembled ladies exchanged knowing glances.

It seemed incongruous for the daughter of a County Magistrate’s concubine to marry someone from such humble beginnings, especially when even the Cultivated Talent status was considered modest.

Even among their ranks, how many didn’t have sons or daughters from concubines? When dealing with such relatives, despite their reservations, they would often settle for a family that was acceptable. If a concubine’s daughter was polite and adept at pleasing others, they might even support her marrying into a respectable family.

The County Magistrate was a high-ranking official with connections to local nobility. Otherwise, he could have aligned himself with a wealthy merchant or influential squire.

Could Madame Qiao really have accomplished that?

Qiao Wei sneered and quickly retorted, "I warned you against airing your grievances! You can’t blame my mother for this. You were the one who was out of touch and ended up with Shao Yunduan, saved by Cultivated Talent Shao back then. If you hadn’t married him, who else would you have married? Madame Tang is here too—why not ask her if she would have accepted you as her daughter-in-law?"

The guests gasped in surprise and exchanged bewildered glances.

Madame Tang? What daughter-in-law? Was Madam Shao expected to be Madame Tang’s daughter-in-law?

Madame Tang was caught off guard by the sudden attention. Mortified, she cursed Qiao Wei inwardly.

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