Seeing the smile freeze on Quan Heng’s face, Zhao Qingrong quickly grabbed her hand and began to explain, “Rui’er has been spoiled by me since she was young. Her temper’s gotten this bad. I’ll go to her courtyard later and give her a good talking-to.”
Quan Heng didn’t respond, only nodded slightly.
Along the way, though her father hadn’t explicitly mentioned Quan Rui, she could already guess the current state of the marquis household from fragments of conversation.
What’s more, just by looking at that girl, she could already understand most of the situation.
Her father had once told her that after she went missing, her mother cried day and night, eventually becoming mentally unstable, even contemplating following her in death.
Perhaps at that time, in an effort to console her mother, her father had adopted a girl from a collateral branch who resembled her somewhat.
Even though this girl wasn’t truly their daughter, looking at that face may have brought them some small comfort.
Surely, after all these years of living together, deep affection had formed between them. Her father’s silence was likely to avoid making her overthink or feel hurt.
At that moment, Ah Zheng and the others finally arrived. Their carriage had been at the rear, so they came later.
Seeing familiar faces at last, the uneasiness in Quan Heng’s heart began to subside.
Once Ah Zheng was standing beside her, she smiled and introduced him, “This is Shen Zhengyu. He grew up next door to me and was like a brother in my childhood. He’s been separated from his family and lost his memory. I’d like him to stay at our residence under the identity of a guest young master until he recovers his memory. Is that alright?”
Zhao Qingrong beamed. “Of course. On the road back, your father already told us everything. Don’t worry. As long as he treats you well, we’ll treat him like our own child.”
At that moment, she shifted her gaze to Ah Zheng. When she saw his face, she was slightly taken aback.
For some reason, she found him somewhat familiar, though she couldn’t recall where she had seen him before.
In fact, her husband had mentioned this in a letter days ago. At the time, she hadn’t taken it seriously. But now, looking at him, she too felt a sense of familiarity.
Still, Heng’er had spoken with certainty, and the people from the Gu household in Changle County could all confirm that this young man truly grew up in that remote town. There was absolutely no way he had ever been to the capital…
Given that, she could only dismiss her doubts for the time being.
After all, there were many people in the world who looked alike. It wasn’t unusual to find one or two who seemed familiar.
At this point, Quan Ye, standing nearby, didn’t sense anything strange. He had already greeted Ah Zheng warmly.
After the two exchanged formalities, Quan Ye was the first to speak. “Brother Zhengyu, do you ride? Once the weather clears, how about a little competition at the countryside manor?”
Ah Zheng instinctively wanted to decline. Aside from Ah Heng, he didn’t wish to interact too much with others.
But then he glanced at Ah Heng and saw her bright, eager eyes watching them. He knew she hoped he would get along with her family.
…Fine. He would agree.
“Of course. Though I’m not very skilled, I’ll have to ask Young Master Quan to go easy on me.”
“Haha, no problem!”
Seeing the two getting along so well, Zhao Qingrong finally relaxed and chatted with Quan Heng for a long time.
In the end, it was Quan Minghao who spoke first. “It’s getting late. Let’s take the child inside. The wind is strong—I’m afraid Heng’er’s health won’t withstand it.”
Zhao Qingrong nodded. “Alright.”
They led Ah Heng toward the rear courtyard. All around, the marquis manor was full of carved beams and painted rafters. Spring had arrived, and the garden streams flowed gently—everything was pleasing to the eye, far more splendid than the Gu household.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a courtyard named Mingyue Pavilion. As they arrived, a maid opened the gate to welcome them in.
The courtyard was spacious and refined in every detail. At a glance, it seemed nearly half the size of the entire Gu manor.
Inside, more than twenty maids and servant women were already waiting. Each was well-dressed and well-mannered, bowing respectfully as they arrived.
Quan Heng, who had never seen such grandeur in her life, paused and looked overwhelmed.
Noticing this, Zhao Qingrong gently brushed the hair from her daughter’s forehead and said softly, “Don’t be nervous. This will be your courtyard from now on. These people are all here to serve you.”
Quan Heng pressed her lips together and said, “I know you and Father treat me well. But I’ve grown used to having Ziyun and Qin Momo by my side. May I keep them as my personal attendants?”
“Of course! Let Ziyun be your top-rank handmaid and Qin Momo your personal Momo. As for the remaining vacancies, you can pick a few from these here to fill the roles.”
Hearing this, Quan Heng finally felt at ease. She blinked and smiled as she wrapped her arm around Zhao Qingrong’s, “Thank you, Mother!”
Ziyun and Qin Momo immediately stepped forward and knelt. “Thank you, Madam, for your favor. We will serve the young miss with all our hearts.”
At that moment, they were both overwhelmed with emotion.
They had come from humble backgrounds, but now, following Quan Heng, they had journeyed from the remote Changle County to the capital, becoming first-class attendants in the marquis household.
This stroke of fortune made their heads spin.
Seeing how honest the two were, and noticing that their injuries were clearly from protecting Heng’er, Zhao Qingrong sighed deeply. “Rise. Just serve Heng’er faithfully from now on. You won’t be lacking in rewards.”
Afterward, Quan Heng selected a girl named Zijing as another personal maid and a woman named Cuijue as a top-rank Pozi.
She chose four second-rank maids, eight third-rank maids, and about ten courtyard sweepers. Everything was thus settled.
“Heng’er, you must be tired from the journey. Rest here for a while. When dinner is ready, someone will come to take you to the main hall.”
Seeing Heng’er nod obediently, Zhao Qingrong felt a wave of tenderness in her heart.
“Then Mother will take her leave.”
After that, she brought Ah Zheng to settle in Qingzhu Courtyard, right next to Mingyue Pavilion. She also helped him select attendants. Once everything was handled, she sighed and turned toward Zhaoxia Pavilion.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she heard the faint sound of sobbing.
The lead maid, Shanhu, started to bow, but Zhao Qingrong waved her off and signaled for silence.
She quietly opened the door and saw a figure sitting on the bed, head buried under a quilt, crying bitterly.
Zhao Qingrong’s heart suddenly ached.
She stepped forward and gently lifted the quilt. As expected, Quan Rui’s face was already covered in tears.
Seeing her mother, she pouted and turned her head angrily.
“So Mother still remembers to come see me? Now that Older Sister Heng is back, and she’s your biological daughter, I thought maybe you didn’t want me anymore!”
She had known since childhood that there was a missing elder sister in the family. But as the years passed with no news, she had come to believe that sister was long dead.
Even though her parents always mentioned that sister, she never felt threatened—after all, how could a dead person compete with her?
But now that person had really come back. The nightmare she had feared for so many years had come true.
She was afraid—so afraid she couldn’t stop crying.
She had always been a substitute, only adopted because she looked somewhat like the lost sister. Now that the real sister had returned, would she still have any place in the household?
Thinking of all this, she simply couldn’t control her emotions.
Zhao Qingrong helplessly cupped her face and wiped away her tears. “Rui’er, you’re already fourteen now, a big girl. Why are you still so childish? Your elder sister has returned—of course I’m happy. All these years, she’s suffered so much out there, and I want to make it up to her. But you are also a child I personally raised. I love you too, and I would never abandon you.”
Upon hearing this, Quan Rui finally stopped crying and asked timidly, “Really?”
Zhao Qingrong nodded. “Really.”
Over the years, she had always held Rui’er in the palm of her hand. So many times, seeing the birthmark behind her ear, seeing the shape of her brows and eyes, she had treated her as though she were Heng’er.
What she owed Heng’er, she had poured into Rui’er, pampering her into the personality she had today.
And yet the first time she met Heng’er, she gave her such a cold face—and cried like this.
She knew she ought to scold her, but seeing her swollen red eyes, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“All right now, tonight our Marquis Manor is holding a banquet to welcome Heng’er home. Second and third branches will all be attending. Rest up for now—when it’s time for dinner, I’ll come call you.”
At these words, Quan Rui wiped her tears and choked out, “Okay. I understand, Mother.”
She needed to get the swelling in her eyes down quickly—otherwise, if those from the third branch saw her like this, they’d surely laugh at her.
***
That afternoon, Quan Heng had taken a short nap. As dusk approached, she was awakened by Ziyun.
“Se—Eldest Miss, the Marchioness has sent a personal maid to pass word that we may now head to the main hall.”
Quan Heng rubbed her eyes and sat up groggily. “All right.”
The newly arrived maid, Zijing, was very skilled in grooming. In her deft hands, she quickly applied the most fashionable makeup in the capital and styled a delicate hair bun.
Then she helped her change into a robe of Sichuan brocade in pink, patterned with clouds, which made her look especially radiant and lively.
Zijing gazed at Quan Heng and couldn’t help but be dazed. “Eldest Miss, you look just like the Madam! It’s obvious you’re mother and daughter.”
Ziyun and Qin Momo, standing off to the side, felt a little ashamed.
All these years, with their clumsy hands, they had never dressed her up so finely.
Quan Heng adjusted the dangling hairpin in her hair and smiled at the mirror. “All right, all right, you and your sweet talk. Let’s get going or we’ll be late.”
Under the guidance of Zhao Qingrong’s personal maid, Meixiang, the group quickly arrived at the main hall.
As soon as she entered, Quan Heng saw the old madam seated at the high seat.
At this moment, the hall was already filled with guests, all looking at her curiously.
Being watched by so many people at once, she suddenly felt a bit uneasy.
