Chapter 74 The Dealer's Jade Token (Part 1)

The thought had barely surfaced when she forcibly suppressed it, but the indescribable complex emotions in her heart couldn't help but slowly spread.

Just then, the butler's voice came from the front hall, announcing that dinner was ready.

Zhuang Xi dropped the small net and pulled Qu He into the house, saying, "Auntie, hurry! Grandpa's back today, let's go see what gift he brought for Xi'er..."

Grandpa?

Qu He's mind went blank for a moment.

Isn't Zhuang Xi's maternal grandfather the same as Zhuang Bieyan's father, her father-in-law?

She met the parents without any preparation at all?

Why didn't Zhuang Bieyan tell her beforehand? She came without bringing anything. It's so presumptuous of her!

Qu He knew very little about her legendary father-in-law, Zhuang Yi.

All that is known is that after handing the Zhuang family over to Zhuang Bieyan, he rarely appeared in public, as if he had suddenly disappeared from the public eye.

Zhuang Yi? What will he be like? Will he be very strict? What should she say?

Thinking of this, she felt a little helpless, but Zhuang Xi grabbed her hand and ran very fast, so she could only follow.

But the curiosity in my heart grew stronger and stronger. What exactly did the man who raised Zhuang Bieyan look like?

On her way to the front hall, several images of Zhuang Yi flashed through Qu He's mind.

However, all of his imagination collapsed completely when he saw the person standing in the living room.

Imagination is no match for reality!

In front of the floor-to-ceiling painting in the center of the living room stands a man wearing a striking Hawaiian-style printed shirt and beach shorts, with a straw hat on his head.

The man's tanned skin, paired with his island vacation-style outfit, exudes a relaxed vibe, but...

This... is Zhuang Yi?

Qu He couldn't believe her eyes and subconsciously looked around, but in the end, she had to accept the truth.

This vacationing uncle... is Zhuang Yi!

"Grandpa!"

Xiao Zhuangxi let go of her hand and ran towards the man, asking, "What nice gift did you bring for Xi'er?"

"Oh, my precious granddaughter."

Zhuang Yi turned around, laughed heartily, bent down and picked up little Zhuang Xi, bouncing her up on his arms, making her giggle.

"Grandpa can forget everyone but our little princess! Your mom has already kept the gift; she'll find it for you later. Come here, let Grandpa give you a kiss."

Little Zhuangxi obediently leaned her little face close, hugged his neck, and said sweetly, "Grandpa, how long can you stay with me this time? Last time you said you'd go fishing with me, but you took a plane and left the next day... Can you stay with me a little longer this time?"

"Okay! Spend more time with our little princess this time." Zhuang Yi gently pinched her nose, his voice booming.

The grandmother and granddaughter chatted and laughed affectionately, while Qu He stood not far away.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist, and Zhuang Bieyan's voice rang in her ear, "Don't be nervous."

Qu He looked up at him and forced a smile.

At this moment, Zhuang Yi also put down Xiao Zhuangxi and walked towards them.

He stopped laughing and looked at Qu He with a more scrutinizing gaze.

Putting aside his vacation attire, his facial features did indeed resemble Zhuang Bieyan's, even down to the way he frowned when looking at people.

"Dad, I'm Qu He." Qu He composed herself and spoke politely.

Zhuang Yi nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a few seconds before turning to Zhuang Bieyan: "Is it her?"

Qu He was completely baffled by the seemingly random sentence.

Zhuang Bieyan grasped her hand tightly, met her father's gaze, and nodded solemnly.

Zhuang Yi then looked at Qu He again and asked, "Where are you from, little girl?"

"I'm from Beicheng, and my hometown is Yujiadu."

"Fisherman's Ferry?"

Zhuang Yi repeated those three words, as if he had remembered something, "A-Yue said you make ceramics?"

"Yes, I've opened a pottery shop now."

Qu He's voice sounded a little strained.

A melodramatic scenario is already playing out in my mind. I've already asked about her family background and profession. Will he pull out a huge check next to make her leave his son?

But Zhuang Yi didn't ask any more questions; he just looked at her quietly.

His stern and unsmiling demeanor made people uneasy.

Zhuang Bieyan stepped aside, shielding Qu He behind him, his tone protective, "Don't scare her."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuang Yi's serious expression vanished instantly, and he burst into laughter, "Don't be afraid, little girl."

He gave the butler beside him a wink, and the butler understood immediately, quickly coming over with a small, dark red wooden box.

The wooden box is about the size of a palm, and cloud patterns are carved on the outside.

“Since you are the Zhuang family’s daughter-in-law, this should be given to you.” Zhuang Yi’s tone became more serious. “The mother of the two children passed away early, and this tradition cannot be broken. I can only hand it to you personally.”

The butler opened the wooden box, inside which was a rectangular white jade plaque.

The jade is warm and lustrous, with a flawless texture, and the two characters "Qu He" are engraved on the front in small seal script.

Qu He was stunned.

What is this jade pendant?

Why is her name engraved on it?

She subconsciously looked at Zhuang Bieyan.

Zhuang Bieyan squeezed her palm and explained in a low voice, "This is the Zhuang family's daughter-in-law jade pendant. Every generation of mistresses of the family must have one. We need to go to the ancestral hall to ask the ancestors for permission to add the name to the family genealogy, and then ask the oldest craftsman in the family to carve the words by hand before it can be handed over to the holder."

He picked up the jade pendant and handed it to Qu He.

The jade was slightly cool, but her eyes were burning hot. "Ahe, accept it. From today onwards, you are the rightful mistress of the estate."

Qu He looked at the jade pendant in her hand, which was engraved with her name. Her feelings were a mix of shock and complexity. She felt that the jade pendant was too heavy.

The butler, watching this scene, looked pleased and couldn't help but add, "Ayan went to great lengths to get this jade pendant, you should accept it."

Qu He looked up in surprise: "Is it so difficult to get the jade pendant?"

Zhuang Yi took off his straw hat and looked at Zhuang Bieyan with a mixture of helplessness and approval.

"It's not that difficult, but it's not that simple either. According to the family's centuries-old tradition, the daughter-in-law's jade pendant is usually bestowed by the elders at the ancestral hall after the child is born."

He changed the subject, "But Ah Yan is determined to break this rule for you! He wants you to become the mistress of the Zhuang family legitimately and without any worries. He wants you to know that the Zhuang family recognizes you, Qu He, as a person, and it has nothing to do with whether you have children or when you have children."

“Those old fogies…” He paused, then sighed.

Qu Hexin hesitated for a moment, then gripped the jade pendant tightly in her hand.

She pressed further, "Then, how did Zhuang Bieyan manage to persuade them to agree?"

Zhuang Yi shook his head, glanced at Qu He, then at his own son, and said, "You should ask him yourself."

He patted Zhuang Bieyan on the shoulder and exclaimed, "You've got the spirit of your old man back in the day! That's how it should be! It's time to show those old fogies what era we live in, those outdated rules should have been abolished long ago!"

His eyes were full of satisfaction as he turned and walked outside.

The evening breeze lifted the hem of his clothes, and he took out the jade pendant he kept close to his body. The moonlight shone on it, and the three characters "Feng Ruqiao" shone warmly.

Zhuang Yi gently stroked the three characters with his fingertips, as if touching some rare treasure.

He looked up at the moon, his voice as soft as a sigh, "Ruqiao, look, this brat is just like me, it wasn't a waste of my time raising him."