Autumn Zhaoyuan.

Qiao Yun had no idea where the jade pendant came from.

This morning, Aunt Xing felt much better and came over to express her gratitude in person.

She not only thanked her, but also gave her two jade pendants to her wife and two embroidered purses to Qiao Yun, thanking Qiao Yun for speaking up for her.

At that time, Qiao Yun smiled and waved to her, "It's not a big deal. You can rest in peace and recuperate."

She took the purse, but the jade pendant was expensive, and Qiao Yun knew her wife's code of conduct, so she refused.

Unexpectedly, when she turned around and walked out the door, the two jade pendants returned to her room.

She knelt in the hall, amazed.

"This slave didn't accept this jade pendant at all. Someone framed her!"

Chu Xinggu's face turned pale.

"Old madam, I didn't mean to bribe you, and Sister Qiaoyuan didn't take it either. I don't know why..."

But before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Tan Youliang's family.

Tan Youliang's surname is Qiu, and he was born in the Qiu family of Pingze, Weiping Prefecture.

At that moment, Mr. Qiu sneered.

"Everyone has seen you going to find Qiao Yun. Now your jade pendant is with Qiao Yun. How dare you deny it?"

Qiao Yun heard her bite them and refused to let go, and stared angrily, "No, no. ! But then again, so what? Aunt

Xing is not allowed to thank Madam? "

Mrs. He looked at Xinggu with squinted eyes, swept over Qiao Yun, and finally landed on Xiang Yi who was standing aside.

"Thank her? Who knows whether you are thanking her or bribing her? What does she do to help you, a girl with a foreign surname, to live in the Tan family? She doesn't even know when you look at others?"

Mrs. Qiu thought of her unfulfilled son. , ever since Chu Xinggu moved in, she has been running to the shantang every three days. Even when Xinggu needed to change her medicine, he rushed back and forth to help the doctor come for consultation.

Yesterday she was extremely angry and said that she wanted to drive Aunt Xing away, but he actually said, "The wife of the Zong family has said that no one can discuss this matter anymore. Mother can't discuss it arbitrarily either." Mrs.

Qiu almost lost her temper on the spot.

Coincidentally, she went to Mrs. Fu San's house to watch the excitement, and on her way back, she saw Aunt Xing coming back from looking for Qiao Yun. The sick rice seedling was of no use, and he actually dropped the unfinished jade pendant on the ground while walking.

Mrs. Qiu made a mental note to Qiao Yun because of the quarrel between Qiao Yun and her.

At that moment, she picked up the jade pendant, spent a little money, found a naive little maid, and stuffed the jade pendant back into Qiao Yun's room.

Then they made trouble in front of Zhao, saying that Qiao Yun had accepted a bribe, and asked Zhao to send someone to search.

Search and get the right one.

At the moment, she insisted that it was Xiang and Qiao Yun who took bribes, and cried in front of the old lady.

"Old Madam, you have to make the decision!"

Zhao had a headache. She took a sniff of the snuff bottle to calm down, and called Xiang Yi.

"What did you say?"

Xiang Yi had not said a word in a hurry until Zhao asked about it, and then he replied slowly.

"Back to mother, Qiao Yun and I have never had any financial dealings with Aunt Xing and her daughter. As for me leaving her mother and daughter in the charity hall, it is entirely out of my duty to help the neighbors."

She didn't have too many excuses . , but I won’t accept such a stigma without reason.

Mrs. Zhao rubbed her forehead.

My daughter-in-law has been married for three years. Even if others don't know it, she has some understanding of it. She doesn't seem like someone who can do such a thing, otherwise she wouldn't be able to trust her middle-aged wife.

But Qiu was really noisy.

At that moment, Ms. Qiu was still saying repeatedly, "Old madam, Aunt Chu Xing and her daughter moved into the Tan family with bad intentions. They just want to seduce the Tan family's children. We can't tolerate them anymore!"

Ms. Zhao hesitated.

As Xinggu said these words, all the color on her face disappeared, and her body was shaking.

Seeing this, Xiang Yi stepped forward.

"Mother, before the matter is found out, if we drive them back like this, it will harm Xinggu's reputation. If something happens to them and their daughter again in the cold weather, how will outsiders view the Tan family? Mother, please think twice, we are a poor family. The clan is also made of flesh and blood."

She said in a more serious tone.

The aristocratic clans occupy the grain fields, rice, brocade, and status in this world. The common people of the humble family have no way to get ahead, so why push them to a desperate situation again?

Zhao didn't speak, but nodded at Xiang Yi's words.

When Mrs. Qiu saw that she had caused such a scene, the Zong family was not ready to drive away Aunt Xing and her daughter, and she couldn't help but become anxious.

"Old madam, that's bribery. I also saw Qiao Yun frequently going in and out of Jixiang Seal Shop. She must have collected these things and didn't dare to pawn them in Yinlou Jade House for money, so she secretly found a print shop. Otherwise, where would she be doing it?"

Zhao didn't know much about this, so she glanced at Qiao Yun in surprise.

Qiao Yun wanted to explain, but then remembered that Xiang Yi made seals to sell and didn't want everyone in the Tan family to know.

She only saw Mrs. Qiu looking like a villain, and she stamped her feet in anger.

"What's wrong with me going to the printing shop? Isn't it okay that the shop owner of the printing shop is my distant uncle?"

In order to cover it up, Qiao Yun and shopkeeper Jiang had a bad relationship before. She was not afraid and raised her hand to point at Mr. Qiu who was standing in front of the door. .

"If you have the ability, go to the printing shop and ask!"

Unexpectedly, as soon as she raised her finger and pointed over, the door curtain moved, and a man wearing dark boots happened to walk in from the outside.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.

As soon as Tan Ting came in, he saw Qiao Yun's movements, and the coldness in his eyes directly overflowed.

He didn't scold Qiao Yun, but instead looked straight at Xiang Yi.

His eyes were heavy, and the room was so quiet that it was almost frozen. The wind outside the door whipped the hem of the door curtain, making a snapping sound, which was extremely harsh in the silence.

Under that cold and solemn look, Xiang Yi had no choice but to call Qiao Yun.

"Qiao Yun, don't be rude."

Qiao Yun didn't know how it was such a coincidence, and quickly retracted her hand in fright.

Tan Ting strode into the hall, stood on Xiang Yi's head with his hands behind his back, and the oppressive aura around him overflowed.

Mrs. Qiu secretly looked at Tan Ting, then at Xiang Yi and Qiao Yun, secretly feeling a little proud.

It's no secret that the uncle of the Zong family doesn't like Xiang, who is the daughter of a corrupt official. It can be seen that he won't support Xiang at the moment. She

couldn't help but said, "No matter what, Chu Xinggu's jade pendant ended up in Mrs. Xiang's maid Qiao Yun's room. Don't talk about other things, I just want to know how Mrs. Xiang wants to explain it?"

The evidence was all there, and the corners of Qiu's mouth twitched up.

Everyone's eyes couldn't help but fall on Xiang Yi, and Tan Ting also looked over.

He also wanted to know how she was going to explain this?

Xiang Yi didn't say a word.

She couldn't explain it.

It happened so fast that she didn't even know what happened until she got to Qiu Zhaoyuan.

Under such circumstances, what explanation could she give?

Xiang Yi pursed his lips and was silent for a while.

The wind still whipped the door curtain.

Seeing her acting like this, Tan Ting slowly closed his eyes.

Over the years, he has not made any excessively strict demands on her.

If she was short of money, she could just ask him for it, and he wouldn't refuse to give it. But wouldn’t it be disrespectful to engage in such heresy?

Or is it just like what the tribesmen said, she is Xiang Zhiyuan's daughter, and she also inherits the so-called greed passed down by blood?

Tan Ting shook his head in disappointment.

Qiao Yun wanted to say something else, at least say something for his wife, but was stopped by Xiang Yi's look.

There is no evidence to prove innocence, everything is just a strong defense.

Everyone was silent. Only Ms. Qiu was secretly happy. She stepped forward and asked Ms. Zhao flatteringly, "Old madam, what do you think?"

Ms. Zhao rubbed her forehead and managed to straighten up.

"I think we should put this on hold for now. We still have some big happy events to do at home, and happy events are the most important thing. As for Qiao Yun, let's stay in prison for a few days before we talk."

As he spoke, he asked his mother-in-law to lead someone to take Qiao Yun down. .

Qiao Yun's face turned red and blue unwillingly. Xiang Yi couldn't help but cast his eyes on her and watched her being taken down.

Mrs. Qiu asked Aunt Xing how she was doing again. This time without Xiang Yi asking, Mrs. Zhao said, "It's freezing cold and the Tan family has no reason to expel people. Aunt Xing and her daughter should stay in the shantang for now, but don't leave the shantang for the time being." "Do you want to go home ?"

Aunt Xing responded repeatedly, "I just hope the old lady will understand clearly."

Mrs. Qiu almost couldn't breathe -

after a long time of quarrel, Aunt Xing and her daughter still stayed.

But Mrs. Zhao had already stood up and returned to the inner room, and she had nothing to say even if she wanted to.

After Qiu left, Xiang Yi also bowed and left.

The hall of Qiuzhaoyuan immediately became empty.

Zhao covered her head and sighed, then turned back and glanced at Tan Ting again.

Tan Ting frowned and looked in the direction Xiang Yi left. After a long while, he spoke.

"If she really does such a thing, mother doesn't have to cover it up for her."

After finishing her words, she left Qiu Zhaoyuan.

Qiao Yun was locked in her own room in the back room.

There was no one in the main room, and Tan Ting did not come back.

Xiang Yi didn't rush to see Qiao Yun, but called his maid Chun Bamboo over.

Chun Zun is Tan's son. He is thirteen or fourteen years old. He is smart and has been waiting for Xiang Yi in the corridor for a long time.

Xiang Yi called her over and whispered the matter, and the spring bamboo shoots crisped.

"Madam, don't worry, your servant will keep an eye on this matter for you."

She said and laughed softly, "My father and mother are asking me to thank you and kowtow to my wife, and say thank you to my wife for transferring my sister to Zhuangzi. My sister is in Zhuangzi." She gave birth to a fat girl successfully, and her evil mother-in-law wants to bully her, but she can't reach her!"

Xiang Yi laughed when he heard this, went back to the room, took two flower hairpins, and called Chun Bamboo to come in.

Chunzun waved her hands as soon as she saw it, "Madam has been very kind to my slave family. I can no longer accept my reward from you! Madam, don't worry, I will definitely handle the matter for you!"

After saying that, he kowtowed to Xiang Yi three times and ran out. .

...

It wasn't until the second watch drum sounded and the lights in the entire Tan family gradually went out that Tan Ting returned to the main courtyard in the night wind.

The lights were not turned off in the room. His wife lit a small lamp and was sewing by the window.

When she saw him coming, she put down her needlework and walked over, stepping forward to change his clothes as usual.

Tan Ting suddenly said, "No need."

He simply avoided the hands, letting them stay in place, neatly untied his clothes, raised the curtain and returned to the inner room. "

The lifted curtain caught a gust of wind and blew towards Xiang Yi.

Xiang Yi was startled for a moment, and then returned to the window again calmly.

But this time, she was not in a hurry to continue her sewing. Instead , she took down a thick stack of account books from the shelf.

She flipped through them slowly, sorted out the account books of the Tan family's income and expenses in the past few years, and then put them back on the shelf.

One day, he will use it when he needs to check her account.

At that time, I hope he can check it clearly.