“Mm.”
Tang Wan sat down beside her.
“Everything’s been fine, Mother. Don’t worry.”
Jiang Shi nodded in relief before asking,
“Earlier, it looked like you two were arguing with that shop assistant. Did something happen?”
This time, before Tang Wan could answer, Ling Yue spilled everything that had happened as if pouring beans from a basket.
Jiang Shi sighed helplessly and spoke earnestly.
“My child, that’s simply how the world is. Most people are only trying to earn a living. If you don’t like them, just ignore them.”
Ling Yue pouted but didn’t argue.
It wasn’t because she agreed with her mother.
Rather, after finally getting to see Jiang Shi again, she only wanted to spend more time with her instead of wasting it discussing such things.
Who would have thought…
The moment Jiang Shi heard that Ling Yue was looking for a shop, she suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, that’s right!”
She gently moved Ling Yue aside, opened a hidden compartment inside the carriage, and took out a thick stack of property deeds.
After counting through them and checking them carefully, she selected a small portion and stuffed them into Ling Yue’s hands.
“These are all for you.”
Ling Yue stared at the dozen or so title deeds in her hands, completely dumbfounded.
Especially the one on top.
It clearly stated a location in the very center of the capital.
It was for the antique shop right next to the cosmetics store they had just visited.
A four-story building…
And every floor was considerably larger than Yu Ziqing’s shop.
“…”
Ling Yue’s eyes widened in disbelief.
She muttered,
“Mother… we’re law-abiding citizens, aren’t we?”
“Did… did you rob someone?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Jiang Shi lightly flicked her forehead.
Meeting her daughter’s aggrieved gaze, she said helplessly,
“These are the shops, estates, and land deeds that were included in Mother’s dowry.”
Dowry?
Ling Yue looked at the stack in her own hands before glancing at the much thicker stack still in Jiang Shi’s.
Her emotions became increasingly complicated.
Technically…
These had all belonged to Gu Yanshuang.
Then again…
As the only daughter married off from the Prime Minister’s residence, how could her dowry possibly have been modest?
A vivid contrast suddenly formed in Ling Yue’s mind.
On one side…
Gu Yanshuang had married in magnificent splendor, escorted by more than a hundred dowry chests.
On the other…
Her own birth mother had narrowly escaped death and spent years wandering in hardship.
Ling Yue slowly lowered her eyes.
The dozen sheets of paper in her hands suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Just because someone lacked favor…
Lacked power…
Lacked wealth…
Lacked status…
Did that mean others could trample over them at will and treat human life as worthless?
Am I the one who’s gone crazy…
Or is this entire world insane?
Is being a proper, gentle young lady really enough?
Is my kindness truly a virtue…
Or does it simply make others think I’m weak and easy to bully?
While Ling Yue was lost in thought, Jiang Shi placed the remaining several dozen property deeds into Tang Wan’s hands.
Tang Wan blinked.
“Huh?”
She looked at Jiang Shi in confusion.
Smiling gently, Jiang Shi explained,
“Wan’er, these include the deeds to seven shops, thirteen estates, and five villas.”
“They’re all yours.”
“Yours alone.”
“They have nothing to do with Yu’er.”
“I came out today to purchase a few things, and while I was at it, I stopped by the government office to take care of the paperwork.”
“The deeds for both you and Yue’er have already been transferred into your own names.”
Tang Wan was stunned.
“Mother, these are far too valuable.”
“I haven’t done anything to deserve such a gift.”
This was the capital.
A place where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.
How much would all these properties be worth?
Yet Jiang Shi was simply handing over such an enormous fortune.
How could Tang Wan possibly accept it?
Usually gentle and yielding, Jiang Shi was unexpectedly firm this time.
“The deeds have already been transferred into your name.”
“So whether you want them or not, you’re keeping them.”
Tang Wan: “…”
Mother…
Isn’t this a little too willful?
Just as Tang Wan was about to protest again, Jiang Shi sighed softly and said with heartfelt sincerity,
“Wan’er…”
“I’ve seen everything you’ve done for our family.”
“And in my heart…”
“I’ve truly come to regard you as my own daughter.”
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