The sun had not yet risen, and the early May morning was still a bit chilly.
Tan Yue supported Old Lady Jiang as they strolled along the pond's edge at the Jiang residence, trying to dispel the gloom in their hearts.
She started to speak several times but stopped herself, held back by her status.
Old Lady Jiang couldn't help laughing gently. "Go ahead and ask whatever you're curious about."
"Old Lady," Tan Yue could no longer suppress her doubts. "Is the young lady really abandoned by her birth mother?"
This would be explosive news even in Fengjing.
Even a cow knows to lick its calf. How could a person be inferior to a beast?
"You could say it was her, or you could say it was the Liao Family," Old Lady Jiang sighed lightly. "When she gave premature birth back then, her body was too weak. For the first few months, the baby girl stayed with me. Half a year later, when she recovered, she insisted on taking away the child. As the grandmother, I couldn't stop her."
And so, after letting go that once, it had been eleven years.
"Clues were found in Jiang Chenghua's slender bone structure," Old Lady Jiang said frankly. "The old general has a sturdy build, and I'm quite robust as well. The younger generations I gave birth to, be it Jiang Chengyuan or Jiang Chengfeng, including Jiang Chengyu, are all tall with a strong build, not slender at all."
"Even as an infant, the girl had chubby calves," Old Lady Jiang gestured with her hands. "Only Jiang Chenghua is slender and delicate, yet stubborn and sensitive, different from all the Jiang children."
At first it was just puzzlement, then later investigations began.
Old Lady Jiang still couldn't understand, "If Mrs. Liao came to get revenge on the Jiang Family, she treats Chengyuan extremely well. I don't see why she had to abandon Chenghua, the legitimate daughter of the Jiang Family."
Not until they traced it back to Jiang family's in-laws, the Lv Family.
Back then, the Lv Family committed a terrible mistake, and the entire family suffered the consequences of demotion and confiscation, blamed for crimes spanning thousands of miles.
Mrs. Lv Liao was devastated by the blow, and soon passed away. The Lv family's son lost himself in revelry at the brothels, while his legitimate baby daughter, still at the breastfeeding age, could only be thrown back to the Liao Family and vanished without a trace since then.
"Could it be that the lady was coerced by the Liao Family into abandoning the young lady and accepting the Third Young Lady instead?" Tan Yue suddenly grew agitated, but soon denied her own speculation. "But the lady treated the young lady with such coldness, as if she voluntarily threw away her own daughter to secure a bright future for her niece."
How heartbreaking it would be if the young lady found out.
Fortunately, she still has her grandmother.
"I don't have solid evidence for the Liao Family's actions. I endured in silence all this time because I wanted to wait for the heir's return to handle it," Old Lady Jiang spoke coldly. "If Mrs. Liao recognized the greater good and acted accordingly, the Liao Family could have enjoyed a few more good days."
But only a few more days.
No one who swapped the Jiang Family's legitimate daughter could continue profiting from the Jiang Family's blood.
Whether it was Mrs. Liao or the Liao Family, whoever harbored ulterior motives would pay the price.
Old Lady Jiang let out a cold chuckle and slowly walked away with Tan Yue.
The naughty sun poked half its face out of the east, blanketing the earth with the warmth characteristic of summer. One wondered if the deeply slumbering little girl had been roused awake by the heat.
Tan Yue supported Old Lady Jiang back to Deren Hall. They discovered that Jiang Sheng was already up when they returned.
She still had traces of sleepiness in her eyes. In her hands she held a sandalwood box containing a whole set of sapphire hair ornaments—extravagantly rich enough to blind one's eyes with their dazzling brilliance.
The gossiping little maidservant was full of envy. "The Third Young Lady is so generous to give such an expensive hair accessory. Even more generous than the Eldest Young Master, even more than the Mistress..." Then she muttered, "Just a little late..."
It turned out to be a gift from Jiang Chenghua.
Old Lady Jiang's eyes darkened slightly as she slowly strode into the room.
Jiang Sheng finally came to her senses. Holding the sandalwood box, she said softly, "Please return this for me, Grandmother. I already declined, but she insisted on forcing it on me, even asking me to convey her apologies on behalf of the Madam."
Old Lady Jiang's gaze grew increasingly profound. She glanced at Tan Yue.
Tan Yue deftly took over. "I'll return this for the Young Lady." Then hurried off.
Only then did Jiang Sheng breathe a sigh of relief, and the inexplicable emotions dissipated along with it.
Old Lady Jiang lovingly stroked her head. "Why not sleep a little longer?"
Jiang Sheng scratched her head. "I'm fully rested. Lying in bed with eyes wide open won't lead to more sleep. My brothers never sleep in, they work very hard, so I have to work hard too."
It was only after she finished talking that she realized this wasn't the second courtyard. She lowered her long lashes to conceal her emotions.
Old Lady Jiang heaved a long sigh.
Some moments, once passed, could never be retrieved, no matter how much affection one's heart contained. It could not change the status quo.
Just like how Jiang Sheng loved her brothers the most, that would never change.
Old Lady Jiang couldn't restrain the ache in her heart, yet at the same time felt she should be glad—at least when Jiang Sheng suffered the most, there were five thriving youths accompanying her.
"Your brothers are all outstanding," she said gently. "And kind people as well."
After recovering, not one abandoned the seemingly most useless little sister.
"Of course!" Jiang Sheng was proud again. "My Eldest Brother has unmatched literary talent. He always ranks first in exams. I'm still waiting for him to top the palace exam."
"My Second Brother best with an abacus. My Third Brother has the best kungfu. My Fourth Brother is the most benevolent doctor. My Fifth Brother is the smartest!"
She had said this more than once, always excitedly.
Old Lady Jiang played along. "Oh? That outstanding?"
"Not one bit exaggerated!" Jiang Sheng placed her hands on her hips, chattering away.
From defeating the county magistrate in a debate match to becoming a successful candidate in the county-level imperial exam, then becoming a juren.
From the ruined temple to Xieyang County, then Anshui Prefecture, and finally to Fengjing.
They met many people, handled many affairs; they suffered bullying and got revenge; they led vibrant, promising lives.
Old Lady Jiang listened with great interest.
The written accounts were inevitably too dry. Jiang Sheng spoke glibly, occasionally acting out scenes and making the old lady laugh out loud several times.
It wasn't until Tan Yue brought breakfast that the grandmother and granddaughter reluctantly stopped their discussion.
The head chef was very fond of the legitimate young miss and specially cooked her meat porridge with sticky rice that was soft and delectable.
Jiang Sheng drank three whole bowls before finally stopping, patting her bulging stomach and mumbling, "I secretly ate something delicious again without my brothers."
Old Lady Jiang chuckled.
Seeing there was still a large basinful of porridge left, she said lightly, "Then let's deliver some to them."
Jiang Sheng instantly whipped her head around, disbelief written all over her little face.
"Tan Yue and the others don't like to drink meat porridge. And the Jiang Family doesn't have the tradition of wasting leftovers," Old Lady Jiang said evenly. "It'd be a pity to throw it away, so we might as well deliver some as a gesture of goodwill."
Tan Yue at the side nodded as she dabbed tears from her eyes. Yes, don't like meat porridge.
Only then did Jiang Sheng relax her face into a beaming smile. Of course that's good!
Although they were separated less than two days, she already missed her brothers terribly and wondered how surprised they would be to see her.
Under Tan Yue's swift arrangements, in less than half a shichen the grandmother and granddaughter were sitting in a carriage driven by He Rui straight to the second courtyard entrance.
The familiar courtyard, the familiar threshold.
Jiang Sheng jumped down from the carriage with all four limbs. Before she could even knock, loud wailing erupted from inside.
"Where's my sister, where did she go? She's been away two months, how could she still not be back?!"
"Waaah, give me back my sister, give her back!!!"
