It Was A Fake Marriage, But Jiu Qian Sui Took It Seriously - Chapter 26

“You…” Aunt Lu Shi flung her handkerchief and stood up from her chair, glaring at Shen Qing Li for a moment before turning to Jiang Yingwan with a cold smile. “This is the good daughter you raised.”

Jiang Yingwan had never directly confronted her sister-in-law before and was momentarily speechless.

Shen Qing Li stepped forward and bowed to Grandmother Lu, speaking softly, “Grandmother, a gentleman doesn’t take what others cherish. If the Empress Dowager knows that the birthday gift from Grandfather was taken by force, she might be displeased.”

Grandmother Lu narrowed her eyes at Shen Qing Li and said to Jiang Yingwan, “Yingwan, I remember your mother is still worshipped in the family temple of the Marquis’ Mansion, right?”

“Go back and think carefully about whether you should move her tablet to the ancestral hall.”

It was noon, and the sun was shining brightly outside.

Shen Qing Li walked with her mother back to the side yard, sweating all over. As soon as she entered the house, she knelt in front of her mother.

“Mother… I was wrong.”

Jiang Yingwan also had tears streaking down her face. She crouched down and held Shen Qing Li tightly. “It’s my fault; I couldn’t protect you. You had to face such a big issue on your own. I’m worse than a stranger to you…”

Shen Qing Li’s eyes reddened, and tears rolled down her face.

“No, mother, you are my support. I’m just worried about your health.”

The mother and daughter sat on the ground. Jiang Yingwan hugged Shen Qing Li and stroked her back, saying softly, “Li’er, you are still too young. You don’t know how difficult this world is for women. Originally, this matter was only in the Marquis’ Mansion. We lost some property and could find an excuse to quietly cancel the marriage. Now that it has become such a big deal, the marriage has been canceled, and your reputation has also…”

Shen Qing Li raised her eyes to look at her mother. “I’m not afraid of a bad reputation. Besides, the Marquis residence hasn’t dared to spread the news; they must be afraid of the Ninth Prince.”

Jiang Yingwan, though a bit weak, wasn’t foolish. She gently wiped away her daughter’s tears with a handkerchief. “Silly girl, you can’t stop rumors. It’s just that they still have something to gain from this.”

Shen Qing Li thought of the jade pendant. She knew her mother had always hoped to move her late mother’s tablet back to the family temple. “Give them the jade pendant. Grandfather won’t blame us.”

Jiang Yingwan smiled and shook her head. “Your late mother wouldn’t care about such things. That jade pendant—I’ll speak to them more about it. If you still want to find a good match, it will depend on the Marquis residence’s reputation.”

Shen Qing Li pursed her lips lightly and helped her mother sit down. She said gently, “Mother, I don’t want to marry again.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. How can a woman not marry? Don’t worry, I will find you a good match.” Jiang Yingwan’s voice became firmer than usual as she spoke to Shen Qing Li.

She said no more. Today wasn’t the time for extra words; there would be a chance another day.

After a brief silence, Jiang Yingwan looked serious and asked, “Qing Li, tell me honestly, why does the Ninth Prince help you? Did you seek him out, or did he approach you first? ”

Her mother rarely mentioned the Ninth Prince. Even when they occasionally spoke of him, Jiang Yingwan would avoid the topic.

Shen Qing Li lowered her head, instinctively pressed her lips together, and softly replied, “That day, after I found out about Jiang Zhi Li and Lu Ci, I happened to encounter the Ninth Prince’s carriage. At the time, I felt there was no hope for the engagement, so I gathered the courage to ask the Ninth Prince to help me, thinking of the past favor.”

For some reason, she didn’t want to tell her mother too much about her connection with him.