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“Nonsense! How could I, Jiang Dahai, have such a crazy daughter like you? I’ll beat you to death!”
He chased, and she dodged.
Oh no! Can’t hit me—bleh bleh bleh~
“Dad, why are you so flustered? Don’t tell me… what I said is true? That while Mom was unconscious during childbirth, you deliberately switched my sister and brother?”
Jiang Wei spoke while hopping in circles around Shen Peirong.
Not only could Jiang Dahai not catch her, he was huffing and puffing like he might die of exhaustion. His lungs felt like they’d burst. “You brat! Someone come tie up the second miss and send her to the ancestral hall for punishment. Today, I’ll beat her to death!”
Jiang Yan, standing off to the side, wore a look of malicious delight.
“Go ahead, beat me to death! Then you can have your precious eldest daughter marry into the Gu family and become the wife of that dying invalid!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the bouncing and energetic Jiang Wei suddenly began trembling all over. Her gaze turned icy as she stared at Jiang Dahai. Her tone was even colder than her expression.
“Jiang Dahai, you wretched man! Was it not enough that you got me killed? Now you want to bully my beloved granddaughter too?
I’m warning you, if you dare touch a single strand of her hair, I’ll clean out your entire household and leave you selling manure again!”
Jiang Dahai was stunned. Jiang Wei’s voice, gaze, and tone were exactly like his dead father-in-law, Shen Zhennan.
Could it be that… her room really had turned into a haunted one like her grandfather’s?
“Grandfather, don’t go!” With a dramatic tearful gesture, Jiang Wei looked toward a stunned Shen Peirong. “Mom, I just saw Grandpa… Am I about to be beaten to death?”
“As long as I’m here, I won’t let your father lay a hand on you.” Shen Peirong also felt she’d seen her father’s ghost. Thankfully, he hadn’t warned her—otherwise, she’d be scared to death.
Jiang Dahai wanted to explode again, but he also feared his father-in-law’s ghost hadn’t truly left. He rasped, “I didn’t even touch a hair on your head! Why are you talking about dying?!”
“Wonderful! I knew Dad loved me the most!” Jiang Wei suddenly threw herself at Jiang Dahai, clinging to him like a spoiled child. “Dad, Grandpa just now told me he really, really misses you. He said he wants you to hurry up and die so you can go keep him company in hell. But I told him you couldn’t die yet—you still have to prepare my dowry!
He told me to tell you to take care of it properly. If you don’t, he’ll come visit you in your dreams at night~”
“He really said that?” Jiang Dahai’s heart nearly stopped—he genuinely believed Jiang Wei was possessed by his father-in-law.
“Of course! Why are you all looking at me like you’ve seen a ghost? Don’t tell me… you all saw Grandpa too?”
“N-No! Not at all! I’m out of here!”
Jiang Dahai ran faster than a rabbit.
Second Concubine Chen Xiaolian was right behind him.
Then Shen Peirong, who looked like she wanted to say something but stopped—she needed time to digest her younger daughter’s words.
In the room, only the “insane” Jiang Wei and a panicked Jiang Yan remained.
Now that no one else was around, Jiang Yan dropped the act. “Jiang Wei, don’t think you can earn Father and Shen Peirong’s love just by pretending to be crazy!”
Jiang Wei tilted her head and feigned confusion. “Sister, I don’t understand what you’re saying?”
“You better not understand.” Jiang Yan didn’t bother with more words. She began to draw in Jiang Wei’s luck—but without her jade pendant to assist her, it was harder to convert that luck into her own. She would need to absorb it fully now and digest it later.
This fake madness Jiang Wei was putting on would definitely make Shen Peirong suspicious.
She had to drain Jiang Wei’s fortune quickly, then go back to soothe Shen Peirong.
Jiang Wei’s messy hair stood on end—
While Jiang Yan stood there with her mouth open, sucking in the endless stream of good fortune.
If she had known she’d get drained by Jiang Yan today, she wouldn’t have taken a bath last night.
Thinking of the massive ball of grime she scrubbed off her body—almost the size of a soccer ball—Jiang Wei felt a pang of regret.
One stick of incense’s time passed.
“Sister?” Jiang Yan burped, clearly full.
“Sister?” Jiang Wei blinked at her with wide, dumb eyes. “You’re so good to me… Mom and Dad are gone, only you stayed with me…”
Perfect!
Jiang Wei now looked even dumber than before.
Nice.
Jiang Yan smiled fakely. “Silly girl, we’re sisters, of course I’ll be good to you. Oh right—before you marry Gu Ting, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?” Jiang Wei leaned against Jiang Yan’s arm, her voice soft and sweet, eyes fixed eagerly on the bright green jade bracelet on her wrist.
You can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing the child—Jiang Yan gritted her teeth and gave her the bracelet.
“The Gu family are all bad people. They’re marrying you only because they covet the Jiang family’s wealth and status. Once you’re married, don’t be fooled by appearances. If they give you keys or iron boxes, don’t open them, okay? Those things are evidence of their crimes.”
“Oh no, I didn’t realize the Gu family was so awful. I don’t want to marry them anymore.”
The original Jiang Wei had been brainwashed by Jiang Yan like this, which made her stubbornly believe the Gu family harbored ill intent. She had even given Jiang Yan the jewelry box and wealth entrusted to her by Gu Mother.
“Silly girl, don’t be afraid. With me around, just hand over anything they give you. I know how to handle them.
Poor little sister. I promise I’ll find a way to help you divorce Gu Ting.”
“Thank you, Sister~”
“Good girl, now get some rest.” Satisfied, Jiang Yan stayed in the empty room for a bit, then carried the chicken soup off to find Shen Peirong.
Just as she reached the door, she knelt dramatically. “Mother, I was wrong. I only got close to Second Aunt because I had no choice. It’s not what it looks like.”
“That wretched Chen Xiaolian threatened you?” Shen Peirong was still fuming, but upon seeing Jiang Yan’s pitiful appearance, she couldn’t stay angry.
“No, I was just afraid. Without a brother, and you without a son to back you, I worried Father would start neglecting us. That’s why I intentionally grew close to Big Brother’s mother, thinking he might treat us better in the future.”
Not having a son was Shen Peirong’s deepest pain, and now Jiang Yan had even sacrificed herself for her mother’s sake.
Such a wonderful daughter—and she had misunderstood her. How awful!
Shen Peirong’s eyes turned red. “Silly child, you’re my most beloved daughter. You’re the noble lady I’ve raised with care. It’s my weakness that caused you all this suffering. How could I ever doubt you…”
“Boohoohoo…” Jiang Yan sobbed delicately. “It’s okay, Mother. For you and Sister, I’m willing to endure any hardship.”
“You’re too kind-hearted. Your sister though…” Thinking of Jiang Wei’s mad ramblings, Shen Peirong didn’t know what to do.
“It’s okay, Mother. Don’t blame Sister. As long as she’s happy, I’m even willing to switch identities with Big Brother. In my heart, no matter who I’m supposed to be, you’ll always be my only mother.”
“Good girl. Your sister is just a foolish lunatic—don’t listen to her nonsense. You are my child.”
Shen Peirong now firmly believed that Jiang Yan was her real daughter.
Odd… before Jiang Yan returned, she didn’t feel this strongly. She even had doubts about whether she was truly hers. But now, with Jiang Yan around, she felt no more hesitation. So strange.
Shen Peirong wiped her daughter’s tears. “Come, I’ll take you to get what your grandfather left me.”
She truly believed Jiang Yan wouldn’t steal anything from her.
As soon as Jiang Yan and Shen Peirong stepped out, Jiang Wei slipped in behind them. Once they had taken three gold bars, Jiang Wei chuckled to herself and tossed the remaining few hundred jin of gold, including the iron box, into her space.
Ding!
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