Sitting in the soft sedan chair, Qin Shuying took in the scenery and yout of the surroundings.

  The journey from Spring Garden to the main hall was a long one. Spring Garden, located in the northwest corner of the Qin estate, was isoted and quiet. It was so remote that even if something significant happened in the front courtyard, Spring Garden would remain completely unaware. The same applied to events in the rear courtyard. The pce was truly cut off from news and rarely visited.

  Spring Garden was far from a desirable residence. Unlike the other young misses, who all lived in courtyards well-connected to the flow of information, Qin Shuying was stuck in this secluded corner.

  Originally, the Old Madam had intended for Qin Shuying to stay by her side. However, under Madam Xu’s subtle hints and encouragement, the naive and inexperienced Qin Shuying had chosen Spring Garden herself, ciming she wished to copy scriptures to honor her deceased parents.

  The Old Madam, seeing her frail health, excused her from the usual morning greetings. Qin Shuying took full advantage of this and rarely visited the Old Madam, often going months without seeing her.

  Despite her deep longing for Qin Yongzhou, Qin Shuying had only met the Old Madam a handful of times by the age of ten. This ck of interaction meant that the Old Madam’s feelings for her were far less profound than those she held for Qin Lianlian, Qin Feifei, and Qin Yunyun, who had grown up under her care.

  As a result, the Old Madam felt both disappointed and saddened by Qin Shuying’s distance.

  In the Old Madam’s mind, while Madam Xu was indeed shrewd and strong-willed, she hadn’t done anything overtly inappropriate. She had also contributed significantly to the family, and the Old Madam believed Madam Xu wouldn’t mistreat Qin Shuying. Besides, with a good marriage already arranged for Qin Shuying, the Old Madam pnned to marry her off with the wealth left by Qin Yongzhou as her dowry. Whether or not there was a deep grandmother-granddaughter bond didn’t seem to matter much.

  Additionally, the Old Madam’s own health was poor, requiring her to rest frequently. This left her with no time to raise Qin Shuying herself, allowing Madam Xu to mold the girl into a timid and weak-willed individual.

  After nearly fifteen minutes, the sedan chair finally approached Xuantang, the Old Madam’s residence. How long had it been since Qin Shuying st visited Xuantang? Over two months…

  “Sister Huiqin, I…I forgot to put the gift Madam Xu prepared for me into the gift box! What should I do?” Qin Shuying suddenly called out anxiously, her eyes brimming with tears.

  “What?” Huiqin looked at her in disbelief, her teeth practically grinding in frustration.

  “Last night, I took out the gift Madam Xu prepared to have a look, but I forgot to put it back in the gift box. Please check to see if it’s there.”

  Huiqin hurriedly opened the gift box. Sure enough, beneath the red silk lining, the scroll Madam Xu had prepared was nowhere to be found.

  “You…” Huiqin was so furious she almost bit her lip. But with people coming and going, this wasn’t the pce to lose her temper. Reluctantly, she pointed at a second-css maid and ordered, “You, go back to Spring Garden and fetch it!”

  The maid, disgruntled but with no choice, prepared to leave. Qin Shuying, however, intervened, “Sister Huiqin, I was afraid of losing it, so I locked it in the cabinet. Only you have the key.”

  Huiqin’s anger fred, but there was nothing she could do. She didn’t trust the second-css maid to handle the key, but time was running out.

  Qin Shuying added with apparent worry, “Sister Huiqin, I haven’t seen the Old Madam in so long and don’t know what to say to her. Please hurry back and accompany me; only then will I feel at ease.”

  Huiqin finally made up her mind and dashed off.

  As expected, Qin Shuying instructed the sedan chair to remain in pce.

  After waiting for a while, she suddenly turned to the second-css maid and said, “If we miss the proper time, will the Old Madam hold you all accountable?”

  The maid grew anxious, as did the older women carrying the sedan chair. Seeing their unease, Qin Shuying sighed, “We can’t keep the Old Madam waiting. Why don’t we go ahead? It won’t cause any trouble.”

  Reluctantly, the maids and servants agreed, and the group began moving toward Xuantang without Huiqin.

  The rest of the group, eager to avoid being bmed, paid no attention to Huiqin. They quickly lifted the sedan chair and hurried toward Xuantang, arriving at the courtyard gate in no time.

  As Qin Shuying stepped out of the sedan chair, it became evident that at some point, a light pink shawl had been draped over her moon-white dress. A touch of blush now adorned her cheeks, giving her a lively and radiant appearance. Though her attire remained simple, she no longer appeared pale but exuded an understated elegance and a quiet charm. The vitality and joy emanating from her were impossible to conceal.

  Even the outdated plum blossom bun, now decorated with a few delicate pearls, seemed to take on a refined and graceful look, complementing the Seventh Miss’s poised demeanor. It wasn’t nearly as unattractive as before.

  The second-css maid stood in a daze, watching as Qin Shuying glided gracefully into the courtyard. It was only then that she realized the miss had left her hand warmer in the sedan chair.

  Inside the hall, Qin Shuying quickly scanned the room. As expected, everyone had already arrived.

  The Qin family consisted of three branches:

  The first branch, headed by Qin Yongtao, the legitimate eldest son, included his wife, two concubines, and several mistresses. Qin Yaoyao’s birth mother was the te Concubine Zhou, who had passed away. Concubine Li had given birth to Eighth Miss Qin Fangfang, and Concubine Liu had once borne the illegitimate Fourth Miss. However, the fourth daughter had died young, and Concubine Liu had since retired from public life.

  The second branch, headed by Qin Yongluo, an illegitimate son, included his wife, Madam Zou, and their three children: Third Young Master Qin Kaifu, Fourth Young Master Qin Kailu, and Fifth Miss Qin Lulu. Qin Yongluo currently served in an out-of-town post, leaving his wife and children in the capital to care for the Old Madam.

  The third branch, headed by Qin Yongzhou, the legitimate youngest son, consisted of only him, his wife Madam Long, and their sole daughter, Qin Shuying.

  Inside the room, Madam Xu was seated with Qin Yunyun and Qin Fangfang, while Madam Zou sat with Qin Lulu. A few younger children were present as well, along with several maids, older women, and stewards’ wives. The room was bustling with people. While the guests had not yet arrived, this gathering was a prelude to the reception.

  By all rights, Lu Changxuan and Qin Feifei should have attended as well, but Qin Feifei had recently fallen ill after copying scriptures in mourning for her te sister, Qin Yaoyao. Lu Changxuan, having recently lost his wife, also didn’t attend but sent valuable gifts instead.

  Qin Yunyun quickly approached and took Qin Shuying’s hand, greeting her warmly, “Seventh Sister, everyone is here, and you’re the st to arrive! I was starting to think you weren’t coming!”

  This subtle jab at her tardiness, made in front of the Old Madam, was no surprise to Qin Shuying.

  Unperturbed, Qin Shuying walked straight to the Old Madam’s couch. With tears brimming in her eyes yet a smile on her face, she knelt down excitedly and said, “Grandmother, Shuying has finally been able to openly come and pay her respects to you! I have longed for this day for three whole years!”

  The Old Madam was visibly taken aback by this dispy. Before she could process it, Qin Shuying quickly and firmly kowtowed three times, the sound of her forehead hitting the ground loud and clear. Thankfully, Xiangqin, the Old Madam’s maid, reacted swiftly, stepping forward to help Qin Shuying up. By then, a red mark was already visible on her forehead, a testament to her sincerity.

  Madam Xu was equally surprised by Qin Shuying’s actions. Her expression grew tense when she noticed the refined yet joyous attire Qin Shuying wore. Her brows furrowed in displeasure. What on earth had that incompetent Huiqin done?