She mistakenly got into the bridal sedan chair and married a sickly but powerful minister, becoming

Inside an extremely ordinary lacquer box, a pair of exquisite bracelets lay quietly on a silk lining.

The bracelet's opening is not large, making it clear that it was worn by a child.

It was precisely because of this that Shen Qingtan reacted so strongly.

The old lady's meaningful tone, in particular, made her guess that this was the bracelet she wore when she was a child, something her biological parents had prepared for her.

If it were just an ordinary bracelet without any deeper meaning, Old Madam Shen wouldn't have used that meaningful tone.

Madam Shen did not tell her the truth about her origins, but only gave her this pair of bracelets, probably as a reminder, to see if she could understand the meaning behind them.

Shen Qingtan's heart stirred slightly, and she had another guess.

Or perhaps Old Madam Shen was waiting for her to take the bracelet to inquire about its origin, and then tell her the truth about her background, in exchange for her helping Shen Shaoheng?

Shen Qingtan took out a handkerchief to examine the gold bracelet. The bracelet was exquisitely crafted, similar to the filigree inlay technique used by the imperial court.

The peony flowers on the bracelet seem to have been specially designed, with a unique pattern, and are inlaid with various gemstones and pearls, showing that a lot of thought was put into it.

Shen Qingtan felt as if she had been poked in the chest, her heart aching with a bittersweet sensation.

Her biological parents must have doted on her.

She loved him even more than she had imagined.

"Second Grandmother, what's wrong?" Tingxue was startled when she saw Shen Qingtan's red eyes: "What happened?"

“No.” Shen Qingtan shook her head, carefully putting the bracelet back, her throat tight: “We brought a basket of green plums from Grandmother’s. I want to make green plum jam.”

"When I get back, I'll have the cook make you some plum sauce."

"I want to eat the plum jam that my grandmother makes." Shen Qingtan calmed herself down, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and said softly, "I'll go ask her for a jar of plum jam and a recipe for making plum jam."

Tingxue knew she wasn't as shrewd as Sister Liuyue, but she wasn't stupid either. She instantly understood that her mistress had something to discuss with Old Madam Shen.

She glanced at the closed lacquer box and vaguely sensed that it was related to the gold bracelet.

"This servant will have the coachman turn around and return to the Marquis's residence." Tingxue lifted the carriage curtain and instructed the coachman, "Second Mistress left some valuables with Old Madam Shen, so let's go back to the Marquis's residence again."

Jiang Mu: "..." I heard everything, and I dropped the food.

Jiang Chao: "..." The plum sauce that made my front teeth sour is so valuable, what's so valuable about it? Are my two front teeth valuable? Is it worth making a special trip for them?

He thought women were such a hassle, and he was glad he hadn't gotten married.

Jiang Chao couldn't help but say to Jiang Mu, "Brother, let's not get married. Let's help each other out from now on."

"If you want to stay single, don't drag me into it." Jiang Mu jumped aside in surprise, frowning as he said, "I'm counting on getting married and getting rich with the settlement allowance from Second Master."

Jiang Chao: "..." Pathetic.

The carriage stopped in front of the Chengen Marquis's residence. As Tingxue helped Shen Qingtan down from the carriage, Jiang Chao secretly asked Jiang Mu, "How much settlement money did the Second Master give?"

Jiang Mu held up a number.

Jiang Chao's eyes widened, and then he looked conflicted.

Cough cough... It's not that you can't get a wife, just don't marry a delicate one. Marrying a tough and feisty one should be easier.

Unaware of the madcap drama unfolding in Jiang Chao's mind, Jiang Mu quickly followed Shen Qingtan to Jufutang.

Shen Qingtan stood at the entrance of Jufutang and instructed Jiang Mu and Jiang Chao: "You two guard the entrance and do not allow anyone to approach the house."

Jiang Mu and Jiang Chao almost blurted out when they saw Shen Qingtan's serious expression: Are you trying to steal the plum sauce?

They quickly realized that Shen Qingtan's visit to collect the plum sauce was just an excuse.

Both men looked equally solemn: "Yes."

Shen Qingtan thought for a moment, then left Tingxue outside the door before entering the house.

Madam Shen sat upright on the daybed, with a pot of hot tea and two teacups on a small table. It seemed she had expected Madam Shen to come and was waiting for her there.

Sure enough, Madam Shen said with a smile, "Girl, you're back."

"Hmm." Shen Qingtan saw that Hongxing, who was beside Old Madam Shen, had left and the door had been closed again, leaving only the two of them in the room. She then took a deep breath and asked, "Grandmother, are the bracelets you gave me the ones I wore when I was little? Why don't I remember them at all?"

Madam Shen glanced at the lacquer box in her hand and said slowly, "These bracelets are the ones you wore when you were a child. But you were sick and forgot many things, so naturally you don't remember these bracelets."

Shen Qingtan tightened her grip on the lacquer box.

"Aren't you confused by Liu's attitude towards you? Why is your own mother scheming against you at every turn?" Before Shen Qingtan could answer, Madam Shen changed the subject and continued, "The fact that you came back to me already shows that you have your suspicions."

Shen Qingtan's mind raced with conflicting thoughts, but in the end, she simply asked, "How did you know I would definitely come?"

"Because you are a smart child." Madam Shen held her teacup, tucked the lid in, took a sip, and said nonchalantly, "Even if you weren't curious about why I gave you these bracelets, I would still send someone to look for you."

Shen Qingtan smiled and said unhurriedly, "You have never been close to us, so it would be strange for a normal person to suddenly give me a pair of bracelets that children wear. They would wonder if there is some other hidden reason behind it."

"You guessed right, there is indeed a secret behind these bracelets." Madam Shen stopped being mysterious and said bluntly, "You are not Liu's biological daughter. After Shen Mingzhu was lost when she was young, she took you back and replaced Shen Mingzhu's identity."

Shen Qingtan lowered her eyes, concealing the turbulent emotions within them.

Madam Shen continued, "Those bracelets must have been prepared for you by your biological parents. You can use them as evidence to identify your relatives in the future."

Shen Qingtan had already guessed the origin of the bracelet, but when she learned the truth from Old Madam Shen, she was still inevitably greatly shocked.

More than anything, I felt excited, because I was getting closer to her background.

Suppressing the turbulent emotions in her heart, Shen Qingtan asked in a hoarse voice, "Grandmother, do you know who my biological parents are?"

Madam Shen looked up at Shen Qingtan. She was usually calm and composed, but her expression changed at this moment, revealing a hint of tension, anticipation, and trepidation.

Madam Shen's heart softened: "Liu's story is that she found it and doesn't know who your parents are, but I did some research and found out that you were brought back from Nanling Prefecture by her."

Shen Qingtan murmured repeatedly, "Nanling Prefecture..."

Madam Shen reminded her, "Girl, judging from this bracelet, you must have been born into a wealthy family, and probably live in Nanling Prefecture."