Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 209 is truly laughable!

Jiu Que was unaware of the turmoil outside. After enjoying quality time with her children at home, it was already the morning of the next day. Since she had already made plans to have lunch at Tian Shang Ju with her friends the day before, Jiu Que got ready early and headed there.

Halfway there, Jiu Que heard a lively commotion outside. She opened the curtains and peeked out, wanting to see the bustling street scene. But to her surprise, she found that there were far fewer people strolling happily through the streets and alleys, unlike before.

At first, she couldn't tell which people were missing, but as she looked around, Jiu Que suddenly realized that the missing people on the street were women. She clearly remembered that the stall owner selling embroidery on this street was a young woman in her twenties who had just married her husband. The couple had a very good relationship, and Jiu Que would often see the husband bringing his wife food when she passed by.

But now the one selling things is that husband?
The more Jiu Que thought about it, the stranger it seemed. He simply stopped, went to the stall, and picked up an embroidered handkerchief.

"Young man, I remember your wife used to sell embroidery here. Why are you the one selling it today?"

The vendor, who had been very enthusiastic, paused for a moment, seemingly a little unnatural. But after glancing at Jiu Que's attire, he still tried his best to maintain a warm demeanor.

"My wife isn't feeling well and has been resting at home for the past two weeks. If you want anything, just ask me; I'm very familiar with my things."

"...I remember these embroideries were made by your wife and her girlfriends. You, a man, are quite knowledgeable about these embroideries?"

"No, don't underestimate me. It's just some embroidery, any woman can do it, but the work of welcoming guests and buying and selling goods is still left to us men. Don't underestimate me just because I'm a man, I'm very familiar with these goods on the stall. Judging from your appearance and age, you must be married by now, right? Why don't you take a look at this handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water? I guarantee your husband will be delighted when he sees it."

"...Why should I buy things to make my husband happy? Shouldn't it make me happy?"

The vendor was somewhat surprised, but still promoted the product in that matter-of-fact tone.

"You look radiant and full of energy; you must be getting along very well with your husband. Wouldn't it be fitting to buy a handkerchief that can enhance your relationship?"

"..."

Jiu Que no longer wanted to speak to this man. In the past, when she saw him, this stall owner always brought food to his wife and showed her tender care, appearing every bit the warm-hearted husband. She never imagined he was such a mundane person! So, a woman's vibrant energy could only be due to a good relationship with her husband? Couldn't it be because she was healthy and content with her life?

Besides, she's the one buying things; she's the customer. It's strange that the seller doesn't consider things from the customer's perspective but instead thinks from the perspective of a man they've never even met.

If Jiu Que had been thinking of buying two handkerchiefs before coming here, that wouldn't have been a problem, then after hearing what the stall owner said, Jiu Que no longer wanted to buy even one handkerchief.

"Next time, let your wife set up the stall. If I'm not mistaken, your business has been pretty bad these past few days, hasn't it?" "This..."

The stall owner's expression immediately turned ugly. He wanted to say something, but considering Jiu Que's attire and composure, he didn't dare to speak. He just stomped his foot angrily. Seeing Jiu Que take two steps away, he felt extremely frustrated and deliberately muttered something in a low voice that Jiu Que could hear.

"How could a woman possibly compare to a man? That's because I'm still not very skilled these past few days. Once I'm more experienced, I'll definitely sell better than her. A woman who doesn't stay at home but instead wanders around outside can't possibly be a respectable woman. She does look like she comes from a wealthy family, but she doesn't even wear a veil, which is really improper. No wonder the Second Prince said he wanted to lead a new fashion trend for women in the capital. If every woman were like this, how terrible the world would be!"

Jiu Que slowly stopped walking away. She narrowed her eyes. She had thought that since they were just strangers who met by chance, she would just let it go if she couldn't stand it and didn't buy anything. She didn't expect this person to be so tactless, daring to mutter in front of her.

Turning around and striding back, the vendor only dared to mutter behind his back. Seeing Jiu Que's decisive and swift demeanor, he was terrified and quickly took a few steps back to protect himself.

"You! What do you want to do?"

“I’m telling you, a man like you who only dares to mutter behind someone’s back and never speaks to their face is truly unworthy of being called a man. You must be very happy because, due to the current trend in the capital, your wife can no longer sell embroidery outside and can only stay in that tiny space at home. You’ve taken control of the family’s finances, doesn’t that feel great? Don’t you feel especially good about the fact that your wife can only rely on you? Don’t you feel superior to her? Don’t you think that you are the head of the household? That she should serve you unconditionally and revere you like a god? Don’t you also think that it’s only natural for her to be busy with housework and sewing embroidery, and that you can’t even see her idle for a moment?”

The vendor's face grew increasingly ugly under Jiu Que's relentless questioning, and the stares from the surrounding vendors made his face burn even more.

Yet he couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal, because Jiu Que's series of questions had precisely exposed the hidden thoughts in his mind. He was even horrified by how accurately Jiu Que could describe it.

Jiu Que would find it disgusting to even glance at such a person.

"You used to live off your wife's embroidery business, and it must have been unpleasant to be at her mercy. You've probably been resentful ever since you married her, always wanting to prove she's inferior to you, but you couldn't find anything that made you better than her. Now you've finally found it: you're a man! Men are naturally stronger than women, and that's your advantage, isn't it?"

The vendor's lips moved slightly; he wasn't foolish enough to admit it in the street. He simply remained silent, trying to escape this predicament by playing dead.

However, Jiu Que had long since figured out this kind of man. Not to mention anything else, wasn't her nominal biological father the same kind of person? He would eat someone else's food and then complain that it was spoiled, and even complain that the other party hadn't humbly given him all of their vast wealth!
This kind of man is incredibly dramatic. He's a typical "phoenix man" (a man from a poor background who achieves success through humble beginnings).

In the past, he couldn't find anything that made him better than women, and he felt that his talents were not being recognized. Now, thanks to the Second Prince, he has finally found it. It turns out that having an extra thing down there makes him seem much more noble than women.

How ridiculous!

(End of this chapter)