After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

These words left Fang Xiaoran no chance to refuse, so she had no choice but to agree.

However, speaking of this Madam Lin, Fang Xiaoran not only knew that she was on good terms with her grandmother, but also recently received news from He Chunming that Tao An had met Madam Lin once, and that the landscape cloud bracelet in Madam Lin's hand was made by him.

This information was known to very few people. He Chunming was able to find out about it entirely because of the Yi Shen Dan. After all, there were many noble families who wanted to obtain the Yi Shen Dan, and among them was naturally someone with good information.

In this way, even if the old lady didn't take her, Fang Xiaoran would still have to go and see this old lady Lin in order to find Tao An's whereabouts.

Although the Lin family was not a prominent clan in Yancheng, they were still well-known, mainly because their ancestor had been a founding hero. However, the descendants of the Lin family did not achieve anything afterward, leading to the family's decline.

Although the family fortunes had declined, the Lin family's foundation remained intact, and its extensive network of connections was beyond the reach of ordinary people. It is worth mentioning that Old Madam Lin was the niece of Grand Tutor Mei. She married Lin Xuechen in the past because of his outstanding talent and wanted to support him.

Unexpectedly, Lin Xuechen fell ill at a young age and passed away at the young age of thirty, after which the Lin family never recovered.

It is said that Lin Xuechen was exceptionally handsome, attracting the affections of many noble ladies. After his death, many were saddened, and even the matriarch of the Lin family became disheartened and stopped concerning herself with matters of the inner quarters.

In fact, Lin Cuilan was not the biological daughter of Old Madam Lin. Old Madam Lin only gave birth to one son for Lin Xuechen, but unfortunately, the child died shortly after birth. The Lin family bloodline was now facing extinction. In desperation, Old Madam Lin had no choice but to select several children from collateral relatives and adopt them into her own family to ensure the continuation of the Lin lineage.

Among these children, Lin Cuilan was an exception. She was not among those selected, after all, she was born to a concubine from a collateral branch and had no right to be adopted by Madam Lin. The reason she was chosen by Madam Lin was simply because she had been persecuted too miserably by her stepmother, and Madam Lin couldn't bear it, so she kept her by her side.

Otherwise, given Madam Lin's background, how could Lin Cuilan possibly marry into the Xue family?

On the day of Madam Lin's 80th birthday, the Lin family held a grand banquet. The entire mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the atmosphere was filled with joy. Guests came in an endless stream to offer their birthday wishes, making the scene exceptionally lively.

As a good friend of Madam Lin, the old lady also arrived at the Lin residence early with several children. After getting off the carriage, Fang Menghe obediently stepped forward to help the old lady. Usually, Fang Xiaoqi would do these things, but this time Fang Xiaoqi did not come because her appearance had not yet recovered.

Next to disembark from the carriage was Zhou Qin. Her arrival surprised even the old lady, who usually found it difficult to summon her no matter how much she called. This time, however, she made a rare appearance.

Fang Xiaoran and Fang Yunyao were the last to get off. They did not ride in the same carriage, but since the carriages were at the back of the procession, they happened to get off together.

As soon as she stepped off the carriage, Fang Yunyao saw Fang Xiaoran and said in a deep voice, "I thought Sixth Sister wouldn't come. It seems that Sixth Sister is particularly concerned about people and things related to Young Master Xue."

“I think Fourth Sister is more concerned than I am. Why don’t you marry Young Master Xue?” Fang Xiaoran said with a slight smile, her eyes flickering.

Fang Yunyao was quite annoyed by these words and replied rather unhappily, "I was just teasing you a bit, why are you jealous? This Young Master Xue is yours, no one can take him away, and no one wants to take him away, so there's no need to keep such a close eye on him."

Fang Xiaoran sneered, "I have only met Young Master Xue once, yet Fourth Sister has come up with so much. I think Fourth Sister should not be so fixated on this infighting within the household. Instead, she should go and perform in an opera. Who knows, many people will come to support her."

"You, how dare you humiliate me like this?" Fang Yunyao's fingers trembled, and the slight friction between her knuckles could almost be heard. Her eyes were wide open in anger, and flames seemed to leap in them, reflecting her face, which was twisted with rage.

Fang Xiaoran, however, showed no fear. Instead, she revealed a mocking smile and said in a relaxed tone, "How can this be called an insult? I'm just helping my sister find a new way out. My sister should be grateful to me." Her eyes were full of mockery, and she seemed to be very satisfied with Fang Yunyao's reaction.

"You..." Fang Yunyao was almost furious, but Fang Xiaoran didn't care about her at all. She casually walked past her and headed towards the Lin family gate, entering the Lin mansion with the old lady and the others.

The Lin residence is even grander than the Fang residence. Stepping over the threshold, the view suddenly opens up, with a main road paved with bluestone stretching straight ahead. A little further away, pavilions and towers are scattered throughout the residence in a well-organized manner, with soaring eaves and exquisitely carved beams.

Inside the mansion's courtyard, tables and chairs were neatly arranged, laden with delicacies. Guests stood alone, gathered in small groups, exchanged quiet greetings, or conversed in hushed tones. Some gazed at the mansion's scenery, while others focused intently on savoring the fine wines and dishes.

On a nearby stage, a theatrical troupe was performing a captivating play, drawing cheers from the guests. Dancers, adorned in vibrant costumes, moved gracefully, like celestial maidens descending to earth. Musicians played melodious tunes, adding to the solemn and festive atmosphere of the birthday banquet.

Of course, these were just appetizers; the banquet had not yet begun, and Madam Lin had not yet appeared.

It is said that Madam Lin's health is poor, and she usually spends most of her time recuperating at home, rarely going out. If it weren't for her 80th birthday, she certainly wouldn't have agreed to a grand celebration.

After the old lady led Fang Xiaoran and the others to pay their respects to Master Lin, she went to visit Madam Lin first, telling Fang Xiaoran and the others to stay there for the time being, and to wander around, but not to run around.

After the old lady left, the third daughter of the Lin family led Fang Xiaoran and the others to Linyi Pavilion.

The people in Linyi Pavilion were mostly young people, chatting. There were several familiar faces among them, but Fang Xiaoran only knew their names and did not have much interaction with them.

In her past life, she only had Zhao Jin; she didn't even have a single close friend.

This is why she ended up with no one to rely on, which also suited Zhao Jin's wishes.

After taking her seat, Fang Menghe deliberately glanced around and teased, "Isn't Young Master Xue here? I thought he knew Sixth Sister was coming and was waiting here early."

The reason Fang Menghe was so concerned about Fang Xiaoran and Xue Zhiming's relationship was because she felt that the Xue family was not even as good as the Fang family. If Fang Xiaoran really married into the Xue family, it would only be considered a marriage of convenience. In the future, no matter what, she would not marry worse than Fang Xiaoran.

She will be able to easily overpower Fang Xiaoran in the future, and she can settle all the scores with her now.

However, she forgot one thing: Fang Xiaoran was the only legitimate daughter of the Fang family. If Fang Xiaoran could only marry down, then she would have even less of a choice.

Just then, a voice suddenly came: "Excuse me, are you the sixth young lady of the Fang family?"