Chapter 888: Purpose

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

That was the reason Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan chose to have lunch at this particular restaurant.

It hadnt crossed Qiao Xuans mind until they sat down and began ordering. She suddenly realized, Oh, 1 see! She then smiled at Shao Yunduan.

Shao Yunduan lightly pinched her wrist and whispered, He initiated this first, and we have nothing to hide. Well let him experience what it feels like to have no defense!

Qiao Xuans heart warmed, and she smiled. Darling, your words make me even hungrier. Were definitely going to indulge in more delicious food later.

Shao Yunduan chuckled. Alright! Ill have an extra bowl of rice with you. Lets order two additional dishes!

Qiao Xuan laughed and nodded. Sounds good! A celebration indeed!

Absolutely!

They exchanged smiles.

After finis.h.i.+ng their lunch, they packed a portion of crispy duck to take home and leisurely made their way back.

As expected, news of this incident spread throughout the town. People were fond of hearing and discussing gossip related to officials families, often sharing such information among themselves.

Three days later, County Magistrate Qiao learned about the incident from a reluctant informant.

Anger surged within him, clogging his chest.

Those two wretches! They must have done this deliberately!

They were intentionally tarnis.h.i.+ng his reputation!

County Magistrate Qiao had never antic.i.p.ated that this couple possessed so many tricks, successfully setting him up without revealing their hand.

Pay a visit to Shaoding Village! Never mind, Ill see what else theyre capable of! Bah, I shouldnt dwell on this!

County Magistrate Qiao sneered, knowing that he would soon be transferred back to the capital. This country was far removed from the capital, so the story wouldnt reach there. Their tricks would have no practical impact on his reputation, except perhaps in his own mind for a brief moment.

It was all utterly useless!

How dare Shao Yunduan engage in such futile endeavors! He had overestimated him in the past!

Little did he know that Shao Yunduan was laying the groundwork for a larger scheme by starting with these small actions.

Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan aimed to sever all ties with County Magistrate Qiao and the Qiao Family, so that they could separate completely. Even if a major incident were to occur eventually, no one would be able to morally condemn them, thanks to the foundation they had built through these minor actions.

If the world came to know that County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao had never truly cared about or treated them as part of the family, dealing with the situation would be much easier.

Qiao Xuan was elated that County Magistrate Qiao had been ensnared. More importantly, she was grateful to have someone who protected and defended hera feeling she relished.

As for her father she knew he would despise her for orchestrating all of this. But that was precisely what she intended.

The ancestors were honored with tribute during the minor New Year, and now the Eve of the New Year had arrived.

The first section of the family celebrated New Years Eve in solitude.

Shao Yunduan was preparing to travel to the capital to take part in the spring examination, while Qi was set to join the army. It would be a considerable amount of time before the entire family could be reunited in one place.

As a result, they were eagerly antic.i.p.ating this years dinner together. Eldest Uncle had initially planned to gather all three branches of the family for a joyous and lively celebration. However, various circ.u.mstances arose, leading to the second branch being estranged from the family, and it wouldnt be appropriate for the third branch to celebrate alone. Thus, Eldest Uncle chose not to bring up the idea.

On New Years Eve, the family members were engaged in putting up couplets, hanging paper-cuttings, displaying auspicious words, and hanging lanterns. The atmosphere was filled with antic.i.p.ation and happiness..