Springtime Farming: A Happy Wife At Home

Chapter 1668: Young Master Guan

Mrs. Guan understood that if Qiao Xuan persisted in making friends with the other ladies, she would find ample opportunities, and Mrs. Guan couldn’t prevent her.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Guan found it unbearable to witness Qiao Xuan’s sociable interactions right under her nose. Seeing Qiao Xuan chatting amiably with the other ladies filled her with discontent, and she silently wished that the ladies would ignore Qiao Xuan altogether.

Sensing it was almost time for a break, Mrs. Guan stood up and suggested that everyone head to the garden stage to enjoy the show. This tactical move aimed to curtail the Prefect’s wife’s conversations with the other madams, which had become an eyesore for Mrs. Guan.

Qiao Xuan, along with the others, exited the reception pavilion.

To her surprise, shortly after leaving the pavilion, as they walked halfway along the corridor toward the waterside theater, a boy around seven or eight years old darted towards them. Chasing after him were a maidservant who appeared to be a nanny and two more maidservants.

Recognizing the child, the madams and young ladies greeted him enthusiastically and made way.

“Hello, Young Master Guan!”

It was Guan Jialing, the son of the Deputy Prefect and his wife.

Known for his mischievous nature, Guan Jialing, pampered by his mother, often acted as a little tyrant in the state government office’s backyard. Even when attending events as a guest, he rarely displayed well-behaved conduct.

With the reception banquet for Qiao Xuan underway, Mrs. Guan foresaw being occupied and unable to attend to her son. Anxious that he might cause trouble, yet concerned he might be mistreated, Mrs. Guan instructed the nanny and two maids to care for the young master and prevent him from leaving the west yard.

The nanny and the two maidservants reluctantly accepted the order, all the while nursing silent complaints in their hearts. Dealing with Young Master’s strong-willed personality posed a formidable challenge, and they knew it wouldn’t be easy to confine him to the Western Campus for an entire half-day.

Their expectations turned out to be accurate.

Despite their best efforts, they could only manage to detain him for half a day. After lunch, all attempts to restrain him proved futile—small in stature but surprisingly strong, he resisted any attempts to control him physically.

Moreover, given his favored status as the master’s son and his tendency to complain to Mrs. Guan, the nanny and two maids dared not impede his movements. Fearing repercussions if he reported their actions to Mrs. Guan, they opted to avoid any confrontation. Besides, having been on the receiving end of his physical aggression for no apparent reason before, they deemed it not worth the trouble.

Resigned to the situation, the nanny and the two maidservants accompanied him beyond the west courtyard, allowing him to frolic in the expansive garden. Children, inherently energetic, were especially exuberant when mischievous. Considering they were within the estate’s grounds, the nanny and maidservants exercised leniency, taking advantage of the moment to rest.

To their surprise, in the blink of an eye, Guan Jialing had vanished.

Upon spotting him, the nanny observed him heading towards Madam Shao’s reception banquet and hastened to catch up.

As her son approached, Mrs. Guan cast a disapproving glance at the nanny and the two maids, though a trace of happiness lingered at the sight of her son after a brief absence.

Before Mrs. Guan could utter a word, Guan Jialing abruptly shook her off and kicked Qiao Xuan, startling everyone present.

Reacting swiftly, Caiyue blocked Qiao Xuan’s path, but Guan Jialing persistently kicked and hit her several times while vehemently scolding her. “Who told you to bully my mother? Who told you to bully my mother? I will kick you to death! Hit, hit, hit!”

Upon realizing it was Caiyue who bore the brunt of the kicks, Guan Jialing redirected his aggression toward Qiao Xuan.