Just as the maids and servants had invited the Third Miss Shen Mingshu to the Lin family's courtyard, Mingzhuang arrived at Meishou Hall with two rosewood branches.

On a warm spring day, with gentle sunshine, a snow-white cat was lazily lounging on the balustrade under the eaves in the old lady's courtyard.

Madam Shen disliked noisy things, and the birdcages hanging under the eaves were empty.

Upon hearing that it was Miss Jiu who had arrived, Granny Tian lowered her voice and said, "The old lady hasn't gotten up yet. She slept an extra fifteen minutes at noon today, so she should be up soon. Miss Jiu, please be patient and wait. This old servant will have someone bring you some tea and snacks."

Tea and snacks... It looks like we'll have to wait a while longer, but Mingzhuang had nothing else to do at the moment, so he smiled and nodded in agreement.

Xue Rong stared intently at the cat, wanting to get closer to take a better look, but was stopped by Chunlan, the head maid standing to the side. "The old lady cherishes this cat very much and said that no one is allowed to get close. Please forgive her."

Upon hearing this, Xue Rong waved her hands repeatedly to indicate that she did not mean it, and then said with a smile, "Does Sister Chunlan usually keep an eye on the cat?"

Chunlan nodded silently.

Mingzhuang thought it was just a cat. She had raised a few before, but she didn't know who had taken care of those cats after she came here. Thinking about it made her feel a little lost.

Although she had read a lot of novels, she didn't want to experience transmigrating into one. What a tragic story with the female lead! She was really exasperated. She begged God to let her wake up and find out that it was all a dream!

Mingzhuang chewed the mung bean cake in his mouth slowly. The mung bean cake was very light and seemed to have little sugar. It was quite delicious to chew it slowly with tea.

Time was running, and after about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, there was finally some movement behind the curtain.

Madam Shen still looked a bit sleepy, but her hair was perfectly combed, indicating that she had changed her clothes. She wore a light purple stand-up collar shirt with gold "Fu" (福, meaning good fortune) pattern, which made her look very elegant and wealthy. It was clear that she was dressed as an old lady from a high-class family.

Seeing that only Mingzhuang had come, the old lady's eyes flickered, and after sitting down, she asked, "You've come here at this hour, is there something you need?"

Those cloudy yet sharp eyes stared straight at Ming Zhuang, as if trying to see through her eyes what she was thinking.

Shen Mingzhuang lowered her eyelids slightly, subtly avoiding the scrutiny of Old Madam Shen, and then smiled and said, "Grandmother, I just returned from Jiangzhou and fell seriously ill, so I can't remember anything. Also, I'm new to the household, so I don't dare to make decisions on my own. Grandmother, you have always been a wise and understanding person, so I can only... I can only ask Grandmother to help me make a decision."

She timely revealed a look of fear, and looked at Old Madam Shen with a helpless expression.

Madam Shen looked at her, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes. She did not lower her guard because of Shen Mingzhuang's flattery.

She knew who the woman in front of her was; she wasn't her biological granddaughter at all. But the woman herself had fallen seriously ill and lost all her memory. She had been lying in the house for some time before she recovered. But did she really not remember anything at all?

Previously, the palace had invited a royal physician to examine her, and she had recovered greatly. However, she was told that she could not remember most of her past events, which she initially believed. But ever since Ming Shu hit her maid Ruyi, she felt that something was wrong.

If she couldn't remember anything, then she should just leave the past alone. But when someone hit her personal maid, she didn't say a word. Although this avoided more trouble, it also aroused suspicion.

"Tell me, what is it that requires my help to make a decision for you?"

Madam Shen withdrew her gaze, held the teacup, blew on it gently, and then took a sip.