A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

Chapter 302 Just a Merchant Family

Thanks to Wei Susu's gentle mediation, the minor incident caused by the rooster was thus resolved.

Gu Xiao stood behind the door, hidden in a corner where Jiang Zheng'an and Jiang Muxin couldn't see him, coldly observing everything before him.

Jiang Muxin's appearance was not much different from what he remembered, but her personality was much more aloof than when he first met her.

He had lived in the palace for a long time and had a close relationship with the Jiang family, but he had never met Jiang Zheng'an. However, he had a few interactions with Jiang Muxin.

At that time, Jiang Muxin heard from somewhere that his mother and Wei Susu had made a joke when he was a child.

His mother once jokingly said that she wanted to marry Wei Susu's daughter to him.

It was just a casual remark from childhood, but Jiang Muxin took it to heart.

She didn't know who she contacted, but she "bumped into" him several times at various banquets.

At that time, Gu Xiao had no interest in romantic relationships and initially maintained proper etiquette with Jiang Muxin.

But as the number of encounters increased, he realized that these "chance meetings" were not accidental, and his attitude towards her became increasingly cold and distant.

At that time, Jiang Muxin displayed the generosity, gentleness, and thoughtfulness of a daughter of a prominent family, calling him "brother" repeatedly and showing great enthusiasm.

Unexpectedly, when she faced ordinary people, she was so arrogant and disdainful, which truly disgusted him.

Everyone returned to the house, and Nie Qianqian picked up the mischievous rooster and handed it over to the cook brought by Sun Shi to be dealt with.

Jiang Botao and Madam Sun were discussing in hushed tones the identities of the people who had just arrived.

Having traveled extensively and gained considerable experience, Jiang Botao said to Madam Sun, "Those people just now didn't seem to come from ordinary families; they looked more like sons of officials."

Madam Sun: "Indeed, look at that young lady's attitude. If she were from an ordinary wealthy merchant family, would she act like this? She clearly thinks that because she is from an official family, it is beneath her to speak to us common people."

Listening from the side, Jiang Wenxuan couldn't help but chime in, "Mother, when I study hard in the future and pass the imperial examinations, I'll become an official and earn you the title of Lady of the Imperial Decree!"

He didn't have a good impression of Jiang Muxin.

Although the woman was slender and had a beautiful voice, her arrogant attitude made him very uncomfortable, as his parents had to smile and try to please her.

His mother was always the one who had the final say at home, and the whole family had to listen to her. But just now, in order to apologize, she bowed and scraped to that woman, which made him feel particularly uncomfortable.

Hearing this, Madam Sun felt a warm glow in her heart. She took her son's hand and smiled, "Well done, Wenxuan! I'm so grateful for your thoughtfulness! I'll go make you some chicken soup to nourish your body. You must get good grades!"

In the past, she would never have dared to say such a thing; even if she had thought about it, she would have thought it was just wishful thinking.

But now that Gu Xiao is here, he's a genius recognized by the county magistrate of Fulin. With him guiding Wenxuan, he might really make a name for himself.

Nie Qianqian knew the true identities of those people, and thinking that if they really became neighbors in the future, she should tell Jiang Botao and his wife the truth, so she said:

“I know who these people are. Some time ago, I accompanied Director Zhang to the governor’s mansion to treat a patient, and the patient was the lady in the sedan chair. She is the wife of a first-rank official in the capital, and her status is indeed noble.”

"A high-ranking official?"

The moment this title was uttered, everyone present was taken aback.

The highest-ranking official they had ever met in their lives was Magistrate Tang of Fulin County, a world apart from a first-rank official.

Unexpectedly, the family members of a high-ranking official became their neighbors, and everyone felt a little uneasy.

Sun asked worriedly, "Did we offend them just now? Or... should we move away? I don't feel at ease living next to the family of a First-Rank Official."

Nie Qianqian waved her hand, reassuringly saying, "No, that lady is extremely kind, generous, and tolerant. What happened just now was merely an accident, and she certainly won't take it to heart. We haven't done anything seriously wrong, so just stay here in peace."

On the other side, Wei Susu and her group entered the innermost courtyard of Haitang Hutong.

She had visited the courtyard before and liked it very much, so she rented it in advance. This time, she brought her luggage specifically, planning to move in after settling in within the next couple of days.

Jiang Zheng'an directed the servants to move the luggage into the room, arranging things in an orderly manner.

Jiang Muxin walked to Jiang Zheng'an's side and asked, "Brother, do you know that woman from earlier?"

Jiang Zheng'an nodded and recounted the scene of meeting Nie Qianqian in Fulin County.

"Did that woman really speak like that in public? And then she even tied up the shopkeeper?" Jiang Muxin frowned, her tone full of disbelief.

“That’s true.” Jiang Zheng’an still had a clear impression of the scene at that time.

"She has a good heart, but she speaks too forcefully, has a very shrewish personality, and her methods of doing things are completely contrary to the norms that women should follow; she is too flamboyant."

Jiang Muxin twirled a handkerchief between her fingers and asked thoughtfully, "The fact that they were able to come to the provincial capital safely and live in such a house shows that they didn't suffer a loss after all. Being able to buy such a house in the provincial capital means they must have a lot of wealth. It seems that this woman's identity is not simple."

“She doesn’t have any special status; she’s just an ordinary family.” Jiang Zheng’an shook his head and added, “Lord Tang mentioned her to us back then. It was Lord Tang who ruled on her parents’ divorce case. After the divorce, she and her mother went into business. Now that they can afford to buy a house in the provincial capital, they must have made a lot of money from that business.”

He paused, then said, "Lord Tang happened to be there when the incident at the restaurant happened. It should have been Lord Tang who handled the aftermath. Otherwise, given her behavior, she would have inevitably gotten herself into trouble."

"I see."

Jiang Muxin raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone carrying a hint of disdain.

She was just a woman from a farming family, and her mother was divorced; her background was truly unbearable.

She thought to herself, "But to be able to make it to the provincial capital with such a background and even buy such a house, he really does have some ability."

It's just baffling that she has such a beautiful face, yet she doesn't know how to use it at all. Instead, she insists on showing her face in public to do business, and she's so shrewish. It's a real waste of her talent.

The thought of Nie Qianqian's strikingly beautiful face, coupled with her unruly behavior, filled Jiang Muxin with displeasure.

Jiang Muxin: "Mother, would you like to reconsider? I just observed that the family seemed to be from a merchant family, and that woman was exceptionally shrewish and rude, acting without any sense of propriety. Are you sure you want to stay here?"

Wei Susu frowned slightly. "That woman is just a bit straightforward, different from ordinary women. I don't think there's anything wrong with it."

"Besides, Muxin, I've told you before. Whether someone is an official or a merchant, it's just an external identity. How can you judge a person's character based on their identity?"

Jiang Muxin lowered her eyes slightly, "Your daughter has learned a lot."

Seeing that her mother had made up her mind, Jiang Muxin stopped trying to persuade her, but her discomfort did not lessen at all.

She always felt that it wasn't a good thing for her mother to be neighbors with that girl named Nie Qianqian.