He thought it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.
“Crack!”
The next second, the ancestral tablet—like a massive boulder—crashed down.
“Ahhh!!”
It smashed squarely onto the two people tangled together.
……
“My mother is the richest person in the country? My family is insanely wealthy?”
Wen Jiushu’s lips curled so high they seemed ready to meet the sun.
“Young miss, didn’t you used to refuse to even mention Madam?” Yuanbao sighed.
The young miss’s wealth was far beyond “insanely wealthy”—it was extremely, extremely wealthy.
The original owner of the body was the daughter of a Ministry of Revenue official. Although her father’s official rank was not high, her maternal family made up for it—abundantly.
Her mother was the daughter of the richest merchant family in Jiangnan.
Nothing else, just money. Lots and lots of money.
But the original Wen Jiushu had not been happy about it. In fact, she had grown distant from her mother and even refused to interact with her.
Why?
Because she was foolish.
Because everyone mocked her for being the daughter of merchants.
A merchant’s daughter—unworthy of the Marquis of Pingnan’s household.
The original owner was a toad trying to eat swan meat.
Wen Jiushu silently despised that version of herself. A mother who is the richest in the country—something people might not get even after several lifetimes of reincarnation!
“Young miss, these jewels and silver sent by Madam… should we throw them away like before?” Yuanbao asked hesitantly, pouting.
“Am I stupid?!”
Throw away gold and jewels?!
Wen Jiushu hugged the treasure chest tightly without letting go.
Just moments ago, her wealthy mother, worried that she was suffering in the marquis’s household, had sent over a box full of gold and silver.
Wen Jiushu grinned foolishly.
With money, leisure, and a mountain of wealth—why should she struggle or earn a living anymore? Wasn’t this her lifelong dream already fulfilled?
“Ancestors above, I will offer you incense twice daily from now on.”
Yuanbao looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.
She felt her young miss had changed ever since fainting from the shock of her pregnancy—she was now completely different.
Like a different person entirely.
In the original story, the Marquis of Pingnan would be attacked on his return journey south.
He would be seriously injured, hanging on the brink of death.
He would then be rescued by the original owner’s half-sister.
During their time together, the Marquis would fall in love with her.
Not only that, but this half-sister was extraordinary.
She was talented beyond measure—well-read in ancient and modern knowledge, able to compose poetry and lyrics, producing works that shook the literary world.
Later, she was even praised by scholars as a “woman of unmatched talent.”
Even the emperor admired her greatly and intended to bring her into the palace as a consort.
But she was not simple. She had lived two lifetimes—her first life as a prince’s wife ended in tragedy.
After being reborn, she awakened memories from a future world and decisively chose the marquis.
The story revolved around her rebirth.
Thus, she carried herself with dignity and refused to enter the imperial harem, claiming it did not align with her belief in true love.
Her ideal was a lifelong monogamous marriage.
So she gave up becoming a consort and stayed with the marquis.
The emperor, valuing the bigger picture, and the marquis—his trusted right-hand man—approved of their union.
He even personally granted them marriage.
And the original owner, the cannon-fodder ex-wife, was already expelled from the marquis’s residence by the time he returned.
Pregnant and helpless, she was ultimately killed by the scheming couple.
In the love story of the male and female leads, she didn’t even count as a proper stepping stone.
Wen Jiushu could only sigh—this is what strong protagonist aura looks like.
Suddenly—
Chaos erupted outside.
“What’s going on? Young miss, there’s a fire!”
What now?
Her mother-in-law and her lover were having a passionate session in the ancestral hall—and now it had literally caught fire.
“Not good! The wind changed direction! The fire is spreading toward us! Young miss, run!”
Thick smoke rolled in.
The flames were spreading.
They were heading straight toward Wen Jiushu’s residence.
“Run for what? It won’t reach us.”
Wen Jiushu remained calm. With no cinnabar or talisman paper on hand, she had to improvise.
She raised her hand and cut her fingertip in midair, drawing a rune with her own blood, then struck out with her palm. “Go!”
The wild, raging flames suddenly recoiled.
It was as if an invisible barrier had formed in the air, blocking the fire completely.
“Young miss, what did you just draw? It looked like a talisman?”
“A fire-warding talisman.”
“Young miss, you’re injured.” Yuanbao grabbed her finger. “I’ll go get… huh? It’s gone?”
“My dear, by the time you come back with medicine, the wound will already have healed.”