The maid sent by Old Madam Lin to deliver a message was named Xiaoxing.
Since she regularly ate Old Madam Lin’s leftovers and lived quite comfortably, she had become arrogant and looked down on others. Upon arriving, she did not even offer a greeting before saying directly to Lin Qianqian:
“Old Madam says that Second Miss no longer needs to pay her respects to her in the future.”
Lin Qianqian thought:
I never intended to pay my respects to her in the first place.
Filial piety begins with kindness from elders. Only when elders are kind can juniors be filial.
Old Madam Lin had never regarded her as a legitimate granddaughter.
More than ten years ago, Old Madam Lin had already learned the truth from Wu Granny, yet she had never once thought of bringing her biological granddaughter back to the Lin family.
Only now, when they needed her to marry in Lin Baozhu’s place, had they sent someone to fetch her.
Because she served the highest-ranking elder in the residence, Xiaoxing was particularly proud.
“Second Miss, Old Madam also said that you should first learn embroidery. In a few days, she’ll send you to the Lin Clan School so you can at least learn a few characters. Otherwise you’ll be too crude and uncultured, and when you marry into the Marquis’ residence, you’ll bring ridicule upon the Lin family.”
Hongdou immediately exploded with anger.
This was just Old Madam’s dog, yet she dared insult her young lady to her face.
With a shove, she knocked Xiaoxing to the ground.
“I don’t care whether you’re an apricot or a peach! Nobody gets to insult my young lady! My young lady is going to take the entrance examination for the Women’s Academy—the Virtue Women’s Academy founded by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager herself. She doesn’t have time for some useless clan school!”
Xiaoxing climbed back to her feet and looked at Hongdou as if she were a fool.
The Virtue Women’s Academy?
Even Miss Lin Baozhu, with all her learning, had taken the examination repeatedly from age ten to fourteen and still failed after four or five attempts.
How could a country girl possibly get in?
Pure fantasy.
After returning to Longevity Courtyard, Xiaoxing embellished Hongdou’s words and repeated them to Old Madam Lin.
Old Madam Lin laughed so hard she nearly fell backward, and the jade hairpin on her head almost slipped out.
“A country girl from the middle of nowhere wants to enter the Virtue Women’s Academy? Fine, let her try. In a few months it will be spring, and that’s when the academy accepts students. I’ll be waiting to see her embarrass herself.”
A kitchen maid then came to ask:
“Old Madam, what would you like for lunch?”
“I’ve been eating too lightly lately. Make me a Buddha Jumps Over the Wall stew. Make the braised sea cucumber with scallions a little spicy. Prepare shark fin and bird’s nest as well. Ten or so dishes will do.”
Xiaoxing was delighted.
With so many dishes, Old Madam certainly wouldn’t finish everything, which meant she would once again enjoy the leftovers.
“Old Madam, you truly have a blessed life. I once served in a Marquis’ residence, yet even that Old Madam didn’t enjoy food as well as you do.”
The flattery pleased Old Madam Lin immensely, causing her to eat even more.
“That’s because I’ve become accustomed to such delicacies. If that country girl ate them, she wouldn’t even be able to handle them. Country folk rarely eat anything rich. Give them oily food suddenly, and they’ll surely end up with stomach troubles.”
Everyone in the courtyard knew exactly who the “country girl” referred to.
Back at the stone house beside the stables, Lin Qianqian ignored Old Madam Lin’s message entirely.
It was lunchtime anyway.
“Hongdou, let’s go to Drunken Immortal Tower for lunch.”
After all, the residence had no intention of providing her with meals.
However, on the way there, they encountered an unexpected person.
It was none other than the now-foolish Champion Marquis—the very man the Lin family intended for Lin Qianqian to marry in place of Lin Baozhu.
Lin Qianqian carefully admired the handsome face before her.
His features were so perfect they seemed almost unfair to the heavens.
Long eyelashes.
A high, elegant nose.
Sharp, well-defined lips.
Every feature was flawless.
What a pity that he had become a fool.
This was the very Champion Marquis whom the Yan Emperor had once praised as unrivaled among the armies.
When he was still sane, noble ladies throughout the capital had adored him.
Now that he was considered a fool, no one cared about him anymore.
While Lin Qianqian was feeling sorry for him, two lecherous young men suddenly stepped in front of him.
One of them, dressed in blue satin, sneered mockingly.
“Well, if it isn’t the Foolish Marquis. Didn’t bring your servants today? Come on, kneel before me and I’ll give you the snacks I packed up.”
The Champion Marquis had once been a hero who defended the nation.
How could such petty people humiliate him like this?
Unable to tolerate it, Lin Qianqian stretched out her foot.
The young man in blue immediately tripped and crashed face-first into the ground.
Even fools could distinguish good intentions from bad.
The Champion Marquis grabbed the corner of Lin Qianqian’s clothing and looked at her pitifully with wide eyes.
Although he had become mentally impaired, he was neat and clean.
His intelligence simply seemed comparable to that of a child.
Lin Qianqian took a few steps.
He followed.
She walked again.
He followed again.
Refusing to let go and saying nothing.
Hongdou tried reasoning with him.
“My young lady has important matters to attend to after lunch. She can’t take you along.”
Feeling sympathy for the Champion Marquis, who had become like this while protecting the nation’s borders, Lin Qianqian gently pinched his handsome chin and placed a small pill into his beautiful mouth.
“Here’s a candy. Be good and let go.”
At that moment, the Champion Marquis’ attendants finally caught up.
“Marquis! How did you run all the way here? Please come back with us. The Master and Madam are waiting for you to eat.”
Yet the Champion Marquis stubbornly continued clutching Lin Qianqian’s sleeve.
Only after four attendants worked together did they finally pry him loose.
When he was some distance away from Lin Qianqian, he suddenly spoke.
“Hungry… hungry…”
The attendants nearly cried with joy.
Heavens above! You’ve finally shown mercy!
The Marquis had been mute for three years since losing his mind.
Not a single word had left his mouth during that time.
Yet today he had suddenly spoken.
Once they returned to the residence, his parents would surely be overjoyed.
After lunch at Drunken Immortal Tower, Lin Qianqian went to visit her maternal family’s former residence—the Jiang Residence.
The place was desolate.
The plaque bearing the words “Jiang Residence” had fallen to the ground and was riddled with insect holes.
Inside, waist-high weeds grew everywhere.
No one had lived there for over ten years.
The windows leaked wind, and the doors looked ready to collapse at any moment.
“Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle… I will save all of you.”
If the Jiang family had not been destroyed years ago, Lin Qingyun likely would not have revealed his true nature so quickly.
Before Lin Qianqian was even born, the Jiang family had already been confiscated by the government.
Their assets were seized.
Every member of the family, regardless of age or gender, was exiled to the harsh frontier.
That was why Lin Qingyun had dared attempt to kill the daughter born to himself and Jiang Shi.
A’Da reported:
“Miss, A’Er has already gone to the frontier as instructed to look after the Jiang family.”
Lin Qianqian hoped circumstances would change soon so she could bring them back.
The frontier was a cruel and unforgiving place.
Her elderly grandparents might not survive much longer there.
“A’Da, did you find out the price of this estate?”
“Yes, Miss. The government currently owns it. They’re asking eight thousand taels of silver.”
Eight thousand taels.
By capital standards, that was not particularly expensive.
Although her adoptive parents were wealthy, Lin Qianqian intended to earn the money herself and buy back the Jiang Residence.
After calculating, she realized most of her available funds had already been sent to the frontier with A’Er.
Capturing the Flying White Fox would earn her a reward of one thousand taels.
The money had not arrived yet, but the government would not default.
That still left seven thousand taels.
Lin Qianqian had already decided where those seven thousand taels would come from.
Wang Shi.
Since Wang Shi loved money so much, she would let her experience what it felt like to lose it.
After all, she happened to possess one of Wang Shi’s secrets.
Lin Qianqian recalled grabbing Wang Shi’s wrist when they clashed outside the Lin Residence gates.
Using her mind-reading ability, she had learned several things.
One revelation was particularly shocking:
Lin Baozhu was not Lin Qingyun’s biological daughter at all.
She was a complete and utter false heiress.
Back when Wang Shi and Lin Qingyun were secretly involved, the Jiang family had not yet fallen.
At that time, Lin Qingyun still had to show some respect to his legitimate wife, Jiang Shi, and rarely spent time with Wang Shi.
He only visited her every few months.
Feeling neglected and resentful, Wang Shi once became drunk and ended up sleeping with a tavern owner named Zhu Qiang.