Chapter 2: The Widow’s Niece

A few words felt like a bolt of lightning, striking directly into Qin Xuan’s heart, leaving her stunned and unable to recover for a long time.

When she gave birth that year, it happened in a hurry.

In the household, aside from the elderly mistress who was unwell, everyone else had gone out to attend a banquet.

She fainted after childbirth and didn’t watch over the child personally. She heard that Nanny Lei had been staying by her bed the whole time until she woke up.

Upon reflection, there had indeed been a chance to swap the child.

As for her youngest daughter, she had indeed fallen from the rockery, and her clothes were indeed torn by something sharp.

She had thought it was an accident, never suspecting the possibility of someone deliberately harming her.

After all, in the capital, who didn’t praise the Fang family’s good reputation—good family values, a harmonious mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, brothers who treated each other with respect, and obedient and respectful children?

Except for the old Marquis, who was a bit eccentric.

Moreover, her kind-hearted stepmother had even risked her life to save her.

If the possibility of swapping or harming the child were true, she couldn’t bear to think about what kind of deep, scheming smile her stepmother might have had.

“Madam!” Nanny Lei called out twice, and Qin Xuan finally regained her senses.

She suppressed the storm of thoughts in her heart. Seeing Nanny Lei and Bihe’s calm expressions, she realized that only she had heard these inner thoughts.

Qin Xuan gestured to Nanny Lei and whispered to her, “Find someone trustworthy to investigate quietly and see if the old lady’s family has a widowed niece. Send a few more people to keep an eye on Er’er and make sure no one sees her, including Miaoyi.”

Nanny Lei was briefly puzzled. She had been expecting news about the missing master, but the madam had suddenly given these instructions.

She was always one to ask little and promptly took her leave.

Qin Xuan, naturally gentle and kind-hearted, was even more moved by the face that looked just like her little daughter’s, sparking her maternal love.

“Bihe, take her to the chair, and bring some snacks and fruit drinks. Tell the kitchen to prepare some food.”

Fang Yuean’s eyes brightened, her spirits lifting a little.

【So she really is my biological mother! Damn the reincarnation gods, trying to make my mother’s fate miserable—no chance!】

Reincarnation gods?

Qin Xuan didn’t understand, but the words “miserable fate” made her feel uneasy.

In the past year or so, so many things had happened in the family.

Looking at Fang Yuean, disheveled and ragged, Qin Xuan felt a pang of pain in her heart. She got up and sat beside her, speaking gently, “What’s your name?”

Fang Yuean slightly parted her lips, her eyes filled with confusion.

【Name? There are so many. Which life is she asking about?】

【In this life, I don’t have one. Wait, in the brothel, the madam gave me a name, Chunya. Before I left, I even gave her a proper beating.】

Qin Xuan’s heart ached more than she was shocked.

This child had ended up in such a place!

She immediately decided that even if this wasn’t her biological daughter, since she resembled Er’er so much, she would keep her and raise her well, ensuring she no longer lived a wandering life or risked being captured by bad people.

After making her decision, Qin Xuan immediately said, “Your father is not home, but when your older brother comes back from the Imperial Academy, I’ll have him give you a name.”

Fang Yuean obediently nodded, but in her heart, she wondered:

【Huh? I haven’t said a word since entering, and you already believe I’m your child?】

【Mother, this is just me. As for others, I would be more cautious. Especially the second branch; no one in that family is worth trusting.】

Qin Xuan’s smile faltered.

The second madam had been her close friend from their childhood. Both had married into the Marquis’s household and had always helped each other out.

Did she have any issues?

But Fang Yuean didn’t continue on that topic.

【Mother, let’s not talk about that now. Instead, can you tell me, where’s my father?】

【He lost his memory and his martial arts. The family that saved him noticed the valuables on him and guessed his high status, so they decided to rescue him.】

【They even pressured him into marrying their eighteen-year-old daughter. Heaven! She’s only a year older than my sister. But if he doesn’t marry her, he can’t leave the village.】

【If we send someone there right now, they can stop it before it happens. If we wait, he’ll be forced to marry a younger woman.】

Qin Xuan was shocked and hurriedly asked, “You know where the master is?”

Previously, she had sent a group to search for him, but today she received the news that they had found nothing.

When Bihe reported that a child knew the whereabouts of her husband, she had no choice but to listen.

But upon meeting the child, she felt like she had panicked unnecessarily.

To her surprise, the child truly knew.

“Northwest border, Yunzho, Xiaoyuan County, Zhangjia Village, at the home of someone called Zhang Laoqi.”

The voice was crisp and sweet, just like the inner thoughts.

【If Mother asks how I know, how should I explain it?】

Qin Xuan didn’t plan to ask more.

Since she had decided to keep the child, she didn’t want this secret to spread, fearing others would see her as a monster and exclude her or even burn her alive.

To help her grow up properly, Qin Xuan wouldn’t let her know she could hear her thoughts.

【Ah, I really want to tell you everything. But Huai ze says I can only tell you three things. I’ve already told you all three today.】

Qin Xuan listened, still puzzled: But I already know everything.

When Bihe returned with the tray, she ordered, “Bihe, from now on, you’ll take care of her. See that she eats, then take her to Mingyue Residence to rest and have a bath.”

“Later, I’ll choose a few trustworthy people to help take care of her. Once they arrive, you’ll go and bring the necessary items and get more clothes made for her. The ones she’s wearing now, go to Er’er’s room and get a few pieces.”

Bihe responded and then wiped Fang Yuean’s little hands with a damp cloth.

“Miss, have something to eat first. The main course is being prepared in the kitchen.”

Qin Xuan watched Fang Yuean eat heartily, a look of affection in her eyes, her gaze glistening with unshed tears.

She called Bihe to her side and said, “Do not tell anyone the real situation. If anyone asks while you’re getting the items, just tell them that I believed in a method from an old sage and sent someone to find a child who looked like Er’er, to gather her soul.”

She didn’t plan to hide the child forever.

There were many people in the household, and news would spread quickly.

If there was any suspicion, the more she hid the child, the more it would seem like she knew something. It would be better to be open and straightforward, as the ones who were guilty would be the ones who couldn’t sit still.

Fang Yuean nodded in agreement: 【Looks like my appearance made Mother suspicious, and now she’s starting to guard against the second branch.】

Qin Xuan spent over an hour selecting attendants for Fang Yuean and secretly arranging to search for Fang Zhan.

She sat on a cool couch under a tree in the courtyard, lost in thought.

By the time the tea on the table had cooled, Nanny Lei finally returned with the report.

Qin Xuan looked up, meeting Nanny Lei’s gaze, and saw her nodding solemnly.

Qin Xuan took a deep breath, goosebumps prickling on her skin, her breath trembling as she exhaled.

Nanny Lei had guessed that the madam had begun to suspect the child’s identity, but she still didn’t understand why the search had led to the old lady’s widowed niece.

She stepped forward, lowered her voice, and detailed the information she had gathered.

“Her maiden name is Meng Xiang. She has a good reputation in the capital. Her husband’s surname is Chen, and her father-in-law is currently the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.”

“She had been widowed just two years after entering the marriage, without any children, and did not remarry. The Chen family felt indebted to her and treated her very well. The authority over the household also remained in her hands.”

“I heard that the Madam Meng had been seriously ill one year and missed her little granddaughter greatly, so she called her back to stay with her for four or five months. Once she recovered, the granddaughter returned to her husband’s family.”

Qin Xuan suddenly recalled which Chen family was being referred to.

Listening to the last words from Nanny Lei, she vaguely remembered some details.

She had heard about Madam Meng’s serious illness.

At the time, her stepmother often returned to her family’s home. Since she was six months pregnant with twins and had difficulty moving, Qin Xuan hadn’t accompanied her to visit.

However, the time Madam Meng had stayed at her family home overlapped with the final stage of her pregnancy and the delivery period.

In this world, how could there be so many coincidences?

As the early summer arrived, the garden was filled with blooming flowers, and the warm wind stirred. Yet, Qin Xuan felt a chill run down her spine.

While lost in thought, a voice full of urgency sounded from the entrance.

“Mother Xuan, I heard that the people searching for the eldest son have sent back news. Is there any word?”

Qin Xuan’s body trembled.

This voice…

It was her stepmother, Madam Meng!