As soon as Qiao Yunxin and Qiao Yunqing reached the entrance of the village, they were stopped by someone.

An elderly gossip-loving woman grabbed them with a face full of excitement. “Oh my, you two brothers are just getting back now? Your third brother and his wife have divorced! The Lin family came with quite a few people just now!”

The brothers exchanged a glance, feeling anxious and ready to leave, but then they heard the next sentence and immediately stopped in their tracks: “Who would’ve thought your mother, who’s always so quiet, actually beat up both Lin’s mother and son so badly today that they didn’t even dare to make a sound?”

“Mother hit someone?”

Qiao Yunxin couldn’t believe it, his face full of curiosity. Even Qiao Yunqing perked up his ears.

“Oh, come on, don’t you know what your own mother is like? Of course, she hit them! Lin’s eldest son was kicked so hard that he could barely get up. His face was swollen like a pig’s head…”

Having listened to the village gossip, the two brothers practically floated into the house on clouds.

They found their third brother in the courtyard plucking chicken feathers as if nothing had happened. Looking around, they didn’t see Qiao Xin anywhere, so they asked,

“Third brother, where’s Mother?”

Qiao Yunting looked at his two older brothers and pointed toward the backyard. “Mother is in the back picking bok choy.”

Right at that moment, Qiao Xin came forward holding a bok choy.

Hearing their conversation, she said, “You’re all back? Help clean the chicken so we can cook it later!”

Qiao Yunxin and Qiao Yunqing quickly walked up to her, examining her from head to toe. “Mother, are you okay? Have the Lin family left?”

“What could happen to me?” Qiao Xin placed the bok choy down and replied calmly, “If they didn’t leave, what, were they going to stay here? Anyway, your third brother is divorced now.”

“Why did they divorce?”

They had only heard bits and pieces while outside.

Qiao Yunqing knew the reason but couldn’t say anything.

Qiao Xin explained the situation in just a few words, saying that fate had run its course and couldn’t be forced, then refused to talk about it further. Instead, she changed the subject. “What did your father-in-laws say?”

Qiao Yunxin said, “My father-in-law passed away, so my wife basically has no family to return to. Her stepmother remarried with her younger brother, and they don’t care about her at all. From now on, her future—good or bad—is entirely up to our family.”

Qiao Yunqing pressed his lips together and said, “Same on my side. They don’t care about my wife’s life or death either.”

It seemed the three brothers had no luck with their in-laws. Even their third brother’s two marriages had been full of trouble.

Qiao Yunqing recalled that earlier that day, when he went to the yamen on business, he happened to run into his father-in-law’s family at the market.

They accepted the wine and meat he handed them but only left him with a single sentence: “Marry a chicken, follow the chicken. Marry a dog, follow the dog. Marry a monkey, and you’ll end up running around everywhere.”

Then, they left without even looking back.

They didn’t ask a single word about their daughter.

All three brothers had chosen their wives on their own, but it was their third brother whose marriage had been the most tumultuous.

Qiao Yunqing glanced at his silent third brother, who was focusing on his work, and sighed. A poor couple has troubles everywhere—this was an ancient truth.

Well, if this experience could make his reckless third brother finally settle down and stop causing trouble for others, then maybe the price paid was worth it.

Qiao Xin had mixed feelings. In this era, once a woman got married, she was caught between two families, drifting like duckweed.

She decided that from now on, she would treat her daughters-in-law better.

The three brothers were used to farm work, so they didn’t shy away from the kitchen. Before long, the chicken was cleaned.

It was only then that Qiao Yunxin realized something. “Mother, where did these chickens come from? Why are there so many?”

“I caught them in the mountains. There are plenty of wild chickens this time of year, and they’re fat—perfect for making soup. You and your third brother are quick on your feet. Come with me tomorrow and see if we can catch more.”

Qiao Xin spoke lightly, but the two brothers were shocked and strongly disagreed with her taking such risks.

“Mother, why did you go into the mountains alone? There are wolves, tigers, and leopards there! Just a few days ago, a herd of wild boars came down from the mountains. It’s too dangerous!”

“I want to eat meat, and the children want to eat meat too!”

Qiao Yunqing was the first to react. “I bought plenty of salt today, and five pounds of pork. We can eat for a while—we don’t need to take that risk.”

“That’s too little. Before we set off, I want to make sure the children can eat meat at every meal. We need to store up food so we can endure the hardships of travel.”

Meat at every meal?

That was a tall order!

The three brothers suddenly felt immense pressure.

Qiao Xin then asked about the household registration papers.

“They’ll be ready tomorrow,” Qiao Yunqing said, “but if we want to settle near the capital, it’s going to be expensive.”

“I’ll figure out the money. You decide on the location. I only have three requirements: the new home must have convenient transportation, it should be near mountains and water, and if possible, it should have some cultural atmosphere.”

Qiao Yunqing looked at Qiao Xin again and asked, “Mother, do you really not want to go to the capital?”

This brat, testing her again!

“If you want to go, I’ll go with you. If you don’t, I don’t care either way. I just know that living in the capital isn’t easy. That’s all you need to know.”

“In that case, Xuanzhou Prefecture might be a good choice. It’s close to the capital, backed by Yandang Mountain, and serves as the final stop for the imperial canal’s northbound shipping routes. There are three or four large docks outside the city, and it even has Xuancheng Academy. There’s no better place that fits your criteria.”

Qiao Xin’s heart skipped a beat.

Mountains, water, and farmland—sounds like a perfect place to retire.

“Alright, then Xuanzhou it is!”

Qiao Yunqing hadn’t expected Qiao Xin to agree so easily without even questioning his choice!

Was this their first time cooperating? Wasn’t she afraid he had his own agenda?

His adoptive mother had never trusted him like this before. She always worried that once he made a name for himself…

If they could always work together like this, with mutual respect and understanding, why not keep playing the roles of a loving mother and devoted son?