The ng family sent two stewards to handle affairs. One was Old Master ng’s confidant, whose background was rather unfortunate—his mother couldn’t afford to raise him and sold him to Old Master ng, who then had him take on the ng surna.
ng Qianqian addressed him as "Uncle ng."
The other was a clan elder of extrely high seniority, though his age was similar to Uncle ng’s. ng Qianqian called him "Seventh Granduncle."
Aside from them were a few accompanying servants and a jade-faced scholar dressed in a long robe.
ng Qianqian withdrew her gaze and greeted the two elders: "Uncle ng, Seventh Granduncle."
"There’s no need for that, there’s no need!"
Uncle ng hurriedly helped ng Qianqian up.
To him, ng Qianqian had always been respectful. Though he was practically Old Master ng’s adopted son, he never acted superior and always regarded himself rely as the ng family’s steward.
His eyes grew slightly red as he looked at ng Qianqian. His voice choked with emotion as he said, "Third Miss, you’ve grown thinner..."
ng Qianqian had been a chubby little girl before arriving in the Capital City. Now, she had grown into a graceful young lady, but her slenderness made her seem pitiful.
Nanny Li wiped away her tears and said, "She’s gotten better in the last two months. Back in the Lu family, she was so thin she was unrecognizable."
Uncle ng was heartbroken. Though Seventh Granduncle didn’t share the sa deep affection for ng Qianqian as Uncle ng, as a younger generation mber of the ng family, he too felt distressed and angry.
"And these people are..."
ng Qianqian struggled to recall the faces of the other newcors.
"Third Miss, I’m Zhuzi!"
One of the servants grinned and said, "Don’t you rember ? When the two young masters took you to poke a hornet’s nest as children, I was the one wielding the stick!"
"You dare bring that up!" Uncle ng slapped him on the head.
Zhuzi laughed sheepishly.
Nanny Li explained, "Miss fell into the water over half a year ago, and she’s forgotten quite a few things."
Seventh Granduncle sighed.
Uncle ng swallowed his grief, then pointed to the young scholar, saying to ng Qianqian, "Third Miss, surely you rember Cousin Yu? You stayed at his ho for two years."
ng Qianqian’s gaze fell upon the young man, but she shook her head slightly.
Yu Li gave a shy smile.
Uncle ng said, "Cousin Yu, didn’t you bring Third Miss a gift?"
Yu Li handed over a large box of sugar crisps to ng Qianqian, avoiding her eyes with the shy reticence typical of a scholar.
ng Qianqian, however, calmly accepted it: "Thank you, Cousin."
The rest were newcors to the ng family after ng Qianqian had left. Uncle ng introduced them so she could familiarize herself with them.
Uncle ng spoke solemnly: "From now on, Third Miss is your mistress. Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
They answered in unison.
Ban Xia took them to rest, eat sothing, and feed the horses along the way.
ng Qianqian asked Seventh Granduncle and Uncle ng why they had suddenly co to the Capital City. Was there an issue at ho?
Uncle ng replied, "Wasn’t it Third Miss who wrote us, asking us to co?"
"?"
ng Qianqian was startled.
In the letter, she hadn’t asked for the ng family to co to the Capital. She had said everything was fine, that Lu Lingxiao had safely returned, and that there was no need for the family to worry.
Uncle ng continued, "You weren’t the one who ntioned that you suffered greatly at the Lu family for years? That they seized your dowry, and the young master returned from the border with another woman and pressured you to divorce him?"
ng Qianqian frowned and said, "I didn’t write such a letter."
Uncle ng froze. "Then who could’ve written it?"
ng Qianqian looked at the two elders and asked, "Uncle ng, Seventh Granduncle, do you have the letter with you?"
Seventh Granduncle shook his head. "The letter’s with your grandfather. After reading it, he was so furious he stayed bedridden for three days, barely surviving... When he regained consciousness, the first thing he did was order us to head to the Capital and demand justice from the Lu family. Originally, your Eldest Granduncle should’ve gone, but he’s too old to endure fast travel."
In truth, even Old Master ng had wanted to co personally but was dissuaded by the family out of concern.
Nanny Li muttered under her breath, "Miss... it’s probably..."
ng Qianqian knew full well who had orchestrated this.
She had planned to keep it hidden for a while longer, but it seed she couldn’t anymore.
"Since Seventh Granduncle and Uncle ng have co all this way to the Capital, I will speak candidly. Seventh Granduncle, Uncle ng, I did not divorce Lu Lingxiao."
The two elders let out a sigh of relief.
But before they could finish sighing, they heard ng Qianqian say, "I have severed all ties with him."
"What?"
Both of them exclaid at the sa ti, and even Yu Li widened his eyes in surprise.
ng Qianqian selectively shared key details with the two elders. Regarding the complex grievances and unresolved matters with the Lu family, she gave only a brief account, ntioning how she had indeed used her dowry for support but that the Old Madam and Lu’s mother treated her as their own during her ti with the Lu family.
She wasn’t trying to defend the Lu family; she had already completely severed ties with them. However, if she were to return to them now and demand justice, it might give the appearance of lingering resentnt or an attempt to salvage sothing.
The elders then asked about the woman Lu Lingxiao had brought back from the border. Was it true?
ng Qianqian thought for a mont and admitted it was.
Seventh Granduncle said, "Such a serious matter—why didn’t you consult the family before making your decision on your own?"
ng Qianqian replied, "It was decreed by the Supre Emperor. The fault lies on their side, not mine. Even if anyone brings it up in the future, it is the Lu family who stand in the wrong. As for the portion of my dowry that was used, I’ve recovered most of it, and the remainder is docunted in promissory notes."
Knowing that the Supre Emperor had personally sought justice for ng Qianqian, Seventh Granduncle and Uncle ng finally felt a sense of relief.
When the ng family had received that letter, it was as though the sky had fallen. To think that a daughter of the ng family had been so bullied—it stirred great indignation!
ng Qianqian said, "These past five years are nothing more than a nightmare. I’m doing well now. Seventh Granduncle, Uncle ng, there’s no need to be distressed for anymore."
Seventh Granduncle sighed bitterly and said with sha, "It’s the ng family’s fault for failing to protect you! The Lu family wields political power, while we are re rchants..."
Nanny Li hesitated to speak.
ng Qianqian shook her head at her.
She didn’t want to ntion anything related to the border—letting such information reach her grandfather’s ears might inflict yet another blow.
Her mories of the ng family were sowhat hazy by now, but Old Master ng’s kindness toward her remained vivid.
For a mont, silence enveloped the room.
Suddenly, Uncle ng seed to recall sothing. He slapped his forehead and said, "Oh no, I forgot about your Third Uncle!"
ng Qianqian’s expression changed slightly. "Third Uncle also ca to the Capital?"
Uncle ng replied, "He went straight to the Lu family to stir up trouble! When we entered the city, he said he wanted to beat Lu Lingxiao senseless and got off the carriage to head to the Lu family first!"
If Third Uncle rashly caused trouble at the Lu family’s residence, he might be mistaken for an intruder and killed without a second thought.
ng Qianqian quickly stood up. "Tan’er!"
Tan’er’s voice ca from the courtyard: "Got it! I’ll go help Third Uncle right away!"
Uncle ng asked, "A little maid... Can she handle it?"
ng Qianqian nodded. "Tan’er is quite capable. Uncle ng, don’t worry."
Seeing her assurance, Uncle ng stopped questioning any further. "The other reason we ca to the Capital—aside from carrying out your grandmother’s orders to secure justice for you—is to bring you back to You State."
ng Qianqian asked, "Back to You State?"
Uncle ng replied, "Yes, you’ve severed ties with the Lu family. Why remain in the Capital any longer?"
The inevitable had arrived—the ng family intended to take her back.
Seventh Granduncle noticed her silence, thinking she was reluctant to return, and gently consoled, "Third girl, don’t fear severing ties with your husband’s family. Once you’re back in You State, your grandfather will select another match for you—a good one this ti. We’ll carefully choose a man who will be devoted to you and upright in conduct, ensuring you never suffer another ounce of grief!"
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