After Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan departed, the household responsibilities fell upon those remaining. They had to tend to the fields, particularly the potato crops.
Songshi, Lixia, and the others approached their tasks with confidence and determination.
With the arrival of the New Year, the usual round of social engagements began.
The Princess Consort of the East Palace extended an invitation to Qiao Xuan for a banquet.
These gatherings typically revolved around familial ties, one's maternal family, and the husband's official standing. Given Shao Yunduan's established position in the capital and Qiao Xuan's presence at the Crown Prince's banquet during the Spring Festival, there was usually little concern about encountering troublemakers.
However, Qiao Xuan was quite reluctant to attend the East Palace banquet.
It wasn't a social circle she could naturally fit into with her current status.