She got pregnant after the swap marriage, and the scumbag's family regretted it so much they cr

It seemed that the shopkeepers had received advance notice of the change of ownership, and without Granny Sun even having to ask, they proactively presented brand-new leases.

Granny Sun checked it carefully and confirmed that it was indeed a standard lease agreement issued by the government, without any trickery. It went so smoothly that it was hard to believe.

When Lu Huan mentioned it, he just smiled meaningfully, took the thick stack of silver notes, and said nothing more.

The rent for those six shops was 550 taels per month, which would amount to 3,300 taels over six months. After deducting the 100 taels he gave to Granny Sun as a broker, Lu Huan's total income was nearly 4,000 taels.

She took out three thousand taels of silver and handed it to Qin Hui: "Uncle Qin, consider this silver as my capital for you."

Qin Hui waved his hands repeatedly in refusal: "No, I can't accept your silver notes!"

He wasn't sure if Lu Huan had told Gao Yan about the gold bars they had given them before, so he didn't mention that he had already given them the gold bars.

"Lord Qin, Jinling is, after all, the capital region, and everything there is more expensive than in Yanjing. You are moving your whole family because of my decision. Even if you are poor, you will be rich on the road. No amount of money is too much."

Gao Yan also chimed in, "That's right, Uncle Qin, this silver is Huan'er's token of her affection. If you don't want to accept it, you can exchange it for fields, shops, or even a mountain after we arrive in Jinling. Huan'er likes that."

After all, Lu Huan had already married into the Gao family, and Qin Hui had only refused because he was concerned about Gao Yan. But now that Gao Yan had agreed, further refusal might damage the trust between them.

Qin Hui took the silver note, rolled it up, and stuffed it into his sleeve.

"In that case, I'll help Miss acquire some property!"

Qin Hui didn't intend to abandon his businesses in Jinling, nor did he plan to give up on Yanjing. However, based on his many years of business experience, he keenly sensed that something was amiss with the actions of the Prince's Mansion and his young lady.

Cloth, farmland, grain—these words lingered in his mind, and even when he left, he was heavy with worry.

Gao Yan also helped Lu Huan board the mule cart together.

Lu Huan leaned against Gao Yan as if she had no bones in her body.

"Going out is so tiring!" she complained, patting Gao Yan on the shoulder as if she had just remembered. "It's all your fault! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so sore all over after just a little bit of activity!"

Gao Yan chuckled twice: "Yes, yes, it's all my fault."

He hesitated for a few more breaths, and before Lu Huan fell asleep, he asked, "Huan'er, the jade pendant we used for our engagement is very likely mine."

Lu Huan's mind cleared instantly, and her body stiffened slightly: "How did you know?"

Her reaction made Gao Yan suspect that Lu Huan might know about the jade pendant being switched.

"I think I've... found my family."

Lu Huan immediately sat up straight and excitedly grabbed Gao Yan's arm: "Really!"

The noise was so loud that even the people in the stone valley outside could hear it.

She quickly covered her mouth, revealing only her bright, dark eyes, with the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, looking genuinely happy.

Then she remembered Gao Yan's question from earlier, and her heart skipped a beat.

Oh no! Once Gao Yan finds his family, he'll definitely realize that the jade pendant isn't the original, but a fake made of very poor quality.

Lu Huan's joy quickly turned into guilt: "Ayan, does that family only acknowledge us after seeing the jade pendant? But... the jade pendant can't be found, what should we do!"

The jade pendant had already been bound to Lu Huan by blood and had long since become one with her. Even if she wanted to return it to Gao Yan, she couldn't conjure it up again.

Gao Yan mistakenly believed that the Lu family had lost the jade pendant and had forged one to deceive them. Zhou Shi, however, lacked knowledge and failed to realize that the jade pendant was no longer the original one.

He quickly comforted Lu Huan: "Wife, don't worry."

The reason for asking about the jade pendant wasn't to get it back, but simply to find out the whole story.

“That jade pendant was indeed something I had back then. Don’t worry, he… my brother didn’t disown me, it’s just… there are some complicated things at home, and I didn’t want to admit it.”

"How complicated is it? Is the inner quarters chaotic? Is the wife being favored over the concubine?"

Gao Yan's gaze was somewhat unfocused, and he said vaguely, "Hmm, more or less."

The fact that spies from the previous dynasty could sneak him out of the inner palace could be attributed to the chaos within the household, not necessarily to deceiving his wife. Gao Yan consoled himself with this thought.

"And what about your brother? What was his attitude?"

“He wanted to tell me… Father, that I should be recognized as a member of the family, but I don’t want to go back.”

"Why don't you want to go back? You could help your brother if you went back!"

Gao Yan reached out and pulled Lu Huan into his arms, his chin resting on her forehead: "Things here aren't that simple. Let's wait until he investigates the matter of the blanket before we talk about it!"

"That's right!" Lu Huan then remembered that the jade pendant should be with Gao Zhongbao right now. "Your brother's influence has grown so much? He can even infiltrate Yanzhou Academy?"

She quickly had a bad feeling: "Your brother's surname isn't Du or Chen, is it?"

Looking at Lu Huan's wary expression, it seemed as if his wife would divorce him if he dared to nod.

He gave a helpless, bitter laugh: "Huan'er, what are you thinking! It's nothing, my brother... he's an official, so he has people under his command."

Lu Huan nodded knowingly: "That's not bad. Having government officials help is much easier than investigating on your own."

I just don't know what rank the officials in my family are, and whether they will be of any use after I go to Jinling.

It's best to avoid favors from the Prince of Yan if possible. After all, a good knife should be used where it's most needed!

Gao Yan's arms tightened slightly, and his lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something more, but he couldn't muster the courage to speak.

As Ishitani returned from the pastry shop, the mule cart began to rock again. He mustered his courage and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito flapping its wings in summer.

"Honey, now you won't think I'm useless anymore, right?"

However, Lu Huan had drunk the spiritual spring water, which greatly enhanced her senses. Even though the sound of those words wasn't as loud as the sound of a mule cart wheel rolling on the ground, she still heard them.

"Say that again? When did I say you were useless?"

Lu Huan felt extremely wronged. She was clearly not that kind of person, yet she was misunderstood like this, especially since the person who misunderstood her was her husband.

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Her eyes reddened and gradually became moist. She glared at Gao Yan, wondering what kind of nonsense he could come up with.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Gao Yan knew he was in trouble. Looking at Lu Huan's accusing eyes, he felt incredibly regretful.

He slapped his own mouth hard: "I always talk nonsense like this, Huan'er, I was wrong, please don't take it to heart. I... I'm just being anxious and insecure."

Lu Huan wasn't so easily appeased. She shoved Gao Yan hard in the chest and turned her face away.

"You'll sleep in the bed yourself tonight, don't even think about getting on the kang (heated brick bed), hmph!"